Cyberbullying

Features of Cyberbullying

Different from traditional bullying, specific effects are amplified when cyberbullying occurs, which can also explain why cyberbullying has increased over time.

Role of Publicity: The public and permanent nature of cyberbullying compared to traditional bullying can cause greater overall embarrassment for the victim.

Role of Anonymity: The anonymous nature of cyberbullying can increase feelings of loneliness, fear, and persistent worrying about the perpetrator's identity for the victim.

Role of Persistence: Immediate and continuous access to digital media can cause ongoing distress, leading to hopelessness and helplessness. Even when a post gets removed, hundreds of people have already seen it.

Role of Supervision: The virtual nature of cyberbullying can make it more difficult for adults to oversee, witness, or recognize bullying behaviors leading to a slower response and sometimes less effective intervention.

Signs of Cyberbullying

Like traditional bullying, several signs may be present when someone is cyberbullied.

• Abnormal changes in mood or behavior, such as new or worsened depression, or heightened anxiety or fear

• Avoidance of friends, activities, or school

• Sudden aversion to using a phone or computer

• Nervous or agitated when receiving a text

• Extreme sleeping behaviors

Negative Effects of Cyberbullying

Children who are targets of cyberbullying are likely also to experience traditional bullying. In addition, cyberbullying is associated with symptoms of social anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, somatic symptoms, and low self-confidence and esteem. The effects of cyberbullying are similar to that of bullying, including negative psychological, physical, social, and academic impacts.

The effects of cyberbullying vary from traditional bullying for the following reasons:

It can occur at home: When an online bully follows you home, it takes away your safe space.

It is harsher: People say things online that they wouldn't dream of saying in person.

It can be far-reaching: Cyberbullying is easier to send embarrassing information to a large number of people at once.

It can be anonymous: Online aggressors often hide behind their screen names so that they don't have to identify who they are.

It may be inescapable: Sometimes, it's more challenging than logging off. When cyber aggressors attack from all angles, it can seem impossible to escape.

The information above was disseminated by published material from Stopbullying.gov, the National Bullying Prevention Center (“Pacer”), and the Cyberbully Research Center.