Cyber Bullying

Suzanne Siegel EST 567

March 11, 2009 Project #2 Cyberbullying Reaction Paper

Cyberbullying is an increasingly alarming trend, which is a direct result of students having greater access to communication technologies. In the past, bullying was often conducted through physical intimidation and verbal harassment. Cyberbullying is defined as a form of online bullying using several types of media such as the Internet, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDA’s) in order to send, post, or text images and messages intended to hurt, embarrass, or spread lies and rumors about a particular person. According to the Harris Interactive Cyberbullying Research Report commissioned by the National Crime Prevention Council (2006), cyberbullying is a problem that affects almost half of all American teenagers. There are two sides that are involved in the cyberbullying problem, those individuals who act as cyberbullies and those who are on the receiving end of the cyberbullying. In 2004, the i-SAFE America research team conducted a survey of 1,500 students between the fourth and eighth grades and reported that 58% of kids admit that someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online and 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful things to others online. Cyberbullying can be initiated through a variety of different methods that include threatening e-mails, cruel instant messaging sessions, sending or forwarding mean text messages, creating websites to post inappropriate pictures and to make fun of a specific individual. In addition, individuals can pretend that they are someone else online in order to trick others about revealing private or personal information.

I choose this topic to report on because of its current implications on today’s children as well as my own experiences as a teenager. When I was a teenager in junior high school, I was often the target of verbal and physical harassment from a specific group of students. I can recall an incident where a student put gum into my hair and another who placed a tack face up on my stool in art class. This harassment often extended onto the bus rides to and from school as well. Looking back, I can only imagine the turn this harassment could have taken if those particular students had the same access to the forms of media that exist today. Interestingly enough, as I write this paper, there is a case in the media regarding an Oceanside teenager who is suing four former high school classmates, their parents, and Facebook for $3 million dollars for allegedly bullying her on a private passwordprotected website on the social networking site. According to Newsday (2009), Denise Finkel, who is currently a student at the University at Albany, filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Manhattan accusing the four former classmates of creating this website to ridicule and disgrace her online as well as posting a statement stating that she contracted AIDS. Many of the cyberbullying websites offer ways students can prevent or avoid cyberbullying. For example, blocking communication with cyberbullies and refusing to forward cyberbullying messages. In addition they offer suggestions for staying safe online such as not posting personal or private information online and not sharing Internet passwords with friends or peers. I believe one of the most effective ways to prevent cyberbullying is to have parents be more attentive to their child’s online activities and their cell phone usage.

Resource Links http://www.newsday.com/iphone/ny-liface0312510748mar03,0,2290035.story http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying http://www.isafe.org