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Cayla Casias

Professor Judith Westley

ENGL1010, Sec. M03

10 December 2019

Cyberbullying

Bullying can take on many different forms. Whether it be physical, verbal, or digital.

Through the use of technology and Social media an entirely new platform has opened up for

people to hide behind, and this has caused a completely different form of bullying worldwide

known as Cyberbullying. Although I do not condone nor agree with any form of bullying, I want

to keep an open mind throughout this process and take this as an opportunity to learn more about

cyberbullying/bullying, and hopefully gain a better understanding of what may not be seen

behind closed doors.

As I began the process of conducting my research through various reliable sources, I

stumble across an article derived from my college library database. Author, Kyriaki Fousiani,

goes on to define cyberbullying as such “Cyber-bullying can be defined as the aggressive and

intentionally repeated act conducted by an individual or a group of individuals using technology

for electronic contact against a victim. It includes every experience with any form of online

harassment and may impact its victims on various levels” (pp. 2120).

Being bullied at school can often be a traumatic experience, but at one point in time,

children who had been bullied could at least seek solace and feel safe at home. It is not ideal for
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a child to have to hide out in their home to avoid bullies, but it is certainly far better than not

having a safe place to seek refuge at all. However, that is no longer the case. Technology/Social

Media are used and accessed all around us which allows bullies easy access to interfere with our

lives even in the solace of one’s own home. When bullying goes online, that safe feeling is

completely lost. The bullies may enter the home through cell phones, computers, and even

tablets. Even if a person chooses to disengage themselves from social media by turning off their

internet-connected devices, the bully can continue sending their harassing messages. The next

time the person reconnects and turns on their devices, the attacks and vile messages are there

waiting for them to see/read.

Even though I hold fast to my belief that all forms of bullying/cyberbullying should not

be permitted or even considered okay, I still want to keep an open mind and dig a little deeper. I

want to gain a better understanding on what may possess or prompt another person down the

slippery slope of bulling another human being. While researching numerous sources I finally

found the perfect article on “The Real Causes of Cyberbullying and How to Prevent It”  this

article helped me gain a better understanding on what may motivate bullies/cyberbullies by

listing off and explaining the bully’s potential reasons behind it, such as, “A lack of empathy,

Because they feel the victim deserves it, Boredom becomes pain, or Self-loathing” (Mitchell 1).

We may not always understand another person’s pain, but one must try and understand them and

express compassion.

On one hand, a cyberbully is really not much different than a traditional bully. They

humiliate, threaten, and make fun of others to feel more confident or validate themselves.
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Cyberbullies gain pleasure and satisfaction when others suffer or feel pain. This is how they feel

stronger and better about themselves, but you must not forget that cyberbullies/bullies can often

be victims of cyberbullying/bullying themselves. A wide range of research shows, those who

cyberbully/bully are often depressed and are in more pain than their victims. Most bullies feel

powerless and are in pain so they feel that if they inflict pain onto others that somehow, they will

be relieved of it. Often times this proves to be incorrect and the kind of pain that bullies inflict on

other people can result in serious consequences.

More times than not a bully does not truly understand how they may be affecting another

person’s life both physically and mentally. Even though I have not been a victim of

cyberbullying, I have been bullied a time or two throughout my life. Coming from the Mennonite

faith I was very shielded as a child and I truly did not understand that the modern world could be

a cruel place

I still remember to this day my first time visiting the Columbia State Campus. I was fresh

out of the Mennonites and so excited about furthering my education and broadening my horizon.

The Mennonites did not believe in higher education past the eighth grade, so I was

homeschooled by my mother throughout high school. Although the Mennonites did not believe

in higher education, I had a hunger instilled in me and I knew that there was more out there for

me to learn and experience. After I completed my high school education I still yearned for more.

I wanted to grow and develop not be simply be tied down to a family at the early age of 19. Now,

that may seem harsh and I truly did enjoy and still miss my Mennonite life, I just felt like this is

where God wants me at this point and time of my life.

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I started college with high hopes of making new friends and having people to grow

intellectually with but that naive mindset of mine was quickly shot down. I was working at The

Law Office of David McKenzie who required his secretaries to always dress in professional

business attire which often consisted of pencil skirts and high heels. I would often attend many

of my college classes still dressed in my business attire while other female students around me

were not dressed in such a way, this led to bullying.

I honestly did not mean to upset others around me but girls in particular began calling me

names which caused them to spread vicious rumors about me without even getting to know me

on a personal level. I suffered silently, feeling depressed inside not having a single person to turn

to and things only went down hill from there. I was yelled at for no reason other than the fact that

a boy that I did not even know was sitting to close to me. People judged me relentlessly without

truly understanding that I was simply an ex Mennonite girl who never even held hands with a

boy before, and who had not even made a single friend since leaving that very shielded lifestyle.

All I wanted to do was fit in and I soon began bringing a change of clothes with me to my classes

so that I would not stand out as much. After a certain period of time I began to fit it and I soon

made friends that excepted me for the person I strived to be. I had to learn to love myself and not

let what others may say about me influence my life on a mental or physical level any longer, but

there are others out there suffering much worse than I ever had.

Bulling/cyberbullying can cause a plethora of health problems both physically and

mentally. I have researched and found an article titled (“Digital Threats: The Impact of
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Cyberbullying”), this article goes on to say that “With the increased cruelty of cyberbullying

comes a deeper impact on those involved. The effects of cyberbullying are in many ways worse

than traditional bullying, infiltrating every part of a victim’s life and causing psychological

struggles. In some cases, teens have taken their own lives because they were victims of vicious

cyberbullies.” (Duverge 1). Often times victims continue suffering because of cyberbullying long

after it ends. Being bullied may result in lifetime of low self-esteem, which can cause chronic

fatigue, poor performance in school or at work, eating disorders, and even insomnia. Depression

is a commonly caused by bullying. Some victims feel a sense of hopelessness and worthlessness

about their lives and no longer see the sense in continuing on, which results in a life-threatening

problem. Nearly 20 percent of cyberbullied victims report having suicidal thoughts and tensions.

“Several high-profile suicides have been blamed on cyberbullying. These tragic events have led

to increasing attention on the issue, with prevention efforts becoming a priority.” (Duverge 1).

Social media and people in general have come up with several different ways to try and

help stop or prevent cyberbullying from ever taking place. Social media offers its users the

option to now block or delete people off of your profile permanently. Social media also has the

ability to detect harsh or threating langue which automatically reports and disables the senders

account. This has drastically cut down on cyberbullying which may in the end result in saving a

person’s life. There are also support groups out there for people that have been bullied or

cyberbullied so that no one feels alone. No one should ever feel alone or feel like they have no

one to turn to. These support groups help people who have been a target of bullying feel like

their life still holds meaning. Always keep in mind that no matter how dark your path may seem
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in life at that time, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Never give up and continue to

press forward.

Work Cited

Fousiani, Kyriaki, et al. “Perceived Parenting and Adolescent Cyber-Bullying: Examining the

Intervening Role of Autonomy and Relatedness Need Satisfaction, Empathic Concern

and Recognition of Humanness.” Journal of Child & Family Studies, vol. 25, no. 7, July

2016, pp. 2120–2129. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0401-1.

Donnie A. Mitchell “The Real Causes of Cyberbullying and How to Prevent It” SOS Safety

Magazine, https://sossafetymagazine.com/bullying/the-real-causes-of-cyberbullying/

2013-2019

Gabe Duverge “Digital Threats: The Impact of Cyberbullying” TOURO UNIVERSITY

WORLDWIDE,  https://www.tuw.edu/health/impact-of-cyberbullying/

July 15, 2014- November 21, 2019

Dilmac, B. (2009). Psychological Needs as a Predictor of Cyber Bullying: A Preliminary Report

on College Students. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 9 (3), 1307-1325.