Cyberbullying: explaining the cause and effect
Every day, more people get connected to the Internet as the upsurge on the use of digital media continues. These new technological developments should be applauded for improving social connectivity. In addition, the electric media and the Internet are great sources of information that also aids in learning. Unfortunately, these electronic media and the proliferation of the Internet have transformed traditional bullying. Cyberbullying can be defined as “an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and overtime against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself” (Muhonen andJönsson 377). It is a magnified form of bullying whereby the victim is much more exposed to shame and degradation considering the number of new media users. In cyberbullying, the anonymity of the perpetrator makes it more pervasive. Therefore, cyberbullying is a phenomenon that deserves more attention and immediate redress in order to deal with its adverse impact on victims. The causes of cyberbullying are social, and it leads to emotional and physical effects as shown here.
First and foremost, the notion that cyberbullying is confined within schoolchildren and adolescents is misleading. Although it is true that the juvenile age group is the most affected, recent research shows that even in adult life there is cyberbullying. This frequent at the workplace than more than any other place (Muhonen and Jönsson 376). Moreover, cyberbullying assumes different forms, which include cyberstalking, harassment, and masquerading among others (Cowie 2). It is important to note these dimensions because they help in determining and describing the causes and effects of cyberbullying.
As indicated earlier, the causes of cyberbullying are social but so much varied. According to Hoff and Sidney, prejudice is one of the leading causes of cyberbullying. Often, it is the majority who exploit the imbalance to intimidate or put down minorities (Hoff and Sidney 656). In their study, Hoff and Sidney found out that females were more likely to report instances of bullying compared to males. In other words, girls and women are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying. Sexual orientation, race, and religious affiliation are other areas where expressive prejudice takes place in new media. In other studies, cyberbullying has been associated with revenge. Simply, this is to say that most cyberbullies are themselves victims of mistreatment elsewhere, who seek justification and accommodation through retaliation. According to Hoff and Sidney, break-ups in relationships have often led to envy and jealousy eventually orchestrating cyberbullying (656).In such cases, the rejected resort to attention-seeking behavior in an attempt to do away with boredom. Lastly, peer pressure influence is also noted in academic research as a major cause of cyberbullying. Perhaps this explains why juveniles are mostly affected.
Victimization that takes place in the age of digital media may go on unnoticed but has far-reaching effects, especially on the victims. For instance, existing literature acknowledges that cyberbullying has a lot of emotional effects. Emotional effects include stigma or feeling of isolation, low self-esteem, and lack of concentration. Physically, suicidal ideation can easily lead to self-inflicted bodily harm or committing suicide itself (Cho, Kim, and Shin 99). Poor performance in school or at work is notable effects of cyberbullying. In addition, Muhonen and Jönsson report that workers who are victims of cyberbullying show do not turn up to work consistently. Finally, deterioration of health and engagement in anti-social behavior are some effects of cyberbullying as victims become helplessly lost into maladaptive behavior. Cyberbullying is rampant but mostly happened unnoticed. Appropriate measure is, therefore, needed to reduce, or completely stop it.
Works Cited
Cho, Mi-Kyoung, Miyoung Kim, and Gisoo Shin. “Effects of cyberbullying experience and cyberbullying tendency on school violence in early adolescence.” The open nursing journal 11 (2017): 98.
Cowie, Helen. “Cyberbullying and its impact on young people’s emotional health and well-being.” The Psychiatrist 37.5 (2013): 167-170.
Hoff, Dianne L., and Sidney N. Mitchell. “Cyberbullying: Causes, effects, and remedies.” Journal of Educational Administration 47.5 (2009): 652-665.
Muhonen, Tuija, Sandra Jönsson, and Martin Bäckström. “Consequences of cyberbullying behaviour in working life: The mediating roles of social support and social organisational climate.” International journal of workplace health management 10.5 (2017): 376-390.