Cyberbullying Case

Everyone has met a bully at some point during their life. Even though school bullies are usually associated with fists fights in the hallways, this is no longer the case in our modern society. Many bullies have now entered the world of cyberspace, and are able to attack their victims through text messages, emails, social networks, and other electronic means. They are able to torment their victims 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and nearly anywhere in the world. Even though regular bullying may leave more obvious damage, cyberbullying should not be ignored. Cyberbullies are able to attack their victims at anytime, and are fueled by the ability to be anonymous. Although many see cyberbullying as an act on par with regular bullying, it is in fact far worse and can have much more devastating effects on our children.

Unlike victims of regular bullying, those who are targeted in cyberspace are vulnerable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many kids now carry cell phones, which means they can be reached nearly anywhere. Normally when a kid is bullied in school, he is able to rely on safe zones, such as his home, to provide a buffer between attacks. However, when someone is being cyberbullied, this is not the case, "Cyber bullying enters into the home and is with the students at all times" (Scott Meech). Without these safe zones, students are un-able to recover from attacks and are more likely to suffer severe psychological damage. Though some think the solution is to just "turn off" the cell phones or social networks, it is not that simple. Many kids rely on these technologies for communication with parents, teachers, and fellow students. Just "turning them off" could perhaps cause even more problems, such as making the child excluded from his peers. Another issue with cyberbullying is the fact that parents have a hard time preventing it. A simple hallway fight can be solved with a call the the principles office, but facebook and text messages have no governing body. These companies do not have the time nor the staff to investigate individual bullying complaints. Instead, parents need to monitor a kids activity online by themselves or using a third-party application. Even though, "Parents have become increasingly concerned about...their children's internet activity" (Steven Reinberg), many do not have the technical know-how to watch their kids online interactions. Cyberbullying makes victims available anytime, anywhere, and is often much harder for parents and administrators to control. Due to these facts, cyberbullying can have much longer lasting effects on children.

Cyberbullying is also much more devastating then regular bullying doing due to the size of the scale on which attacks occur. Unlike an after school fight, which is only seen by those attending, posts on social network pages can be seen by everyone in the school, "Instead of remaining a private matter...[it is]communicated to a large audience quickly" (Scott Meech). This "global" knowledge of a bullying event makes it much more embarrassing for the victim. It also solidifies the event in a kids brain. Unlike simple name calling, a post on a social network page is there forever, and students can be constantly reminded of what happened. The other issue that this increase in audience creates is the fact that pictures (usually embarrassing/inappropriate)