Stop Cyberbullying

As the development of technology progresses, so does the probability of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying that occurs over any type of electronic device. Some include computers, cell phones and tablets, as well as communication tools such as social media sites, text messages and web chats.

Cyberbullying can effect someone of any age, but the majority of this type of bullying is ranging from ages 10-20. Cyberbullying can cause many different reactions that are harmful for young kids. Kids who are bullied this way are more likely to skip school, receive poor grades, have terrible self-esteem, and sometimes even feel as though they should harm themselves. According to the 2013-2014 school crime supplement (National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics) 7 percent of students in grades 6-12 experienced some type of cyberbullying over one technology platform or another. Another study by Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey states that 15 percent of high school students were cyberbullied in the last year.

The number of children being bullied over the internet is only growing and the cases are becoming more extreme. As adults there are several things that can done to make sure that we are doing everything we can to bring those percentages down. To prevent cyberbullying, adults should be aware of the sites that kids are visiting and interacting on. Adults should also try to understand how the social media sites work, so that if you think your child is being bullied you can find out exactly what is happening. Encourage your kids to tell you if they know someone is being cyberbullied – to let you know so you can help. Most importantly, educate children on how dangerous words can be. Cyberbullying is just as harmful as regular physical bullying, and one post or wrong wording could end up ruining someone else’s self-esteem or mentally harm them.

Overall, cyberbullying should not be overlooked. I personally don’t believe that it will ever be completely gone, but we can decrease the percentages by being proactive and being supportive of the victims.

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