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This article definitely taught me something new. Maybe not new but opened my eyes a bit. I never really thought about the many different ways cyber-bullying can take place. Never even thought about excluding someone as a form of bullying although it really is. Even as adults we do it and don't even realize that we do. Quite often it is not on purpose, we just don't realize that person feels excluded, even though you aren't doing it on purpose. Really makes you open your eyes to make sure you are not excluding someone and making sure everyone is involved. I think this pertains to the course in a way that people were excluded because there skin was to dark, or they weren't beautiful enough to be included. They maybe weren't cyber-bullied, but were bullied because of how they were treated and how they felt.

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We hear a lot about cyberbullying, but we hear less about what it actually constitutes. Cyberbullying is defined as an aggressive, intentional act using electronic forms, repeatedly and over time, against a victim who can't easily defend against it.

As technology evolves continuously, cyberbullying originally was restricted to the sending of emails and texts. But now it can include image-sharing, online communities, blogs and forums, and sharing of personal information.

While cyberbullying is an iteration of traditional bullying, victims of cyberbullying often have worse outcomes than victims of traditional bullying. And a combination of traditional bullying and cyberbullying has the most severe negative impact on mental health.

Read more: How can we protect young people from cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying can include both overt (name calling, mocking, shaming) or covert (exclusion, isolation) aspects.

Cyberbullying can involve written-verbal behaviours such as phone calls, text messages and comments on social media. Two specific examples of written forms of cyberbullying are the well-known "trolling" (purposefully posting hurtful comments to provoke a response), and flaming (an array of aggressive comments from one to another).

Other forms of cyberbullying involve:

visual behaviours: posting, sending or sharing pictures or videos, usually to cause embarrassment

exclusion: intentionally excluding someone from an online group or, in the case of online gaming, excluding a player from groups or teams

catfishing: falsifying online identities to trick the victim into romantic relationships

impersonation: using the victim's name and account to damage the victim

stalking: for example sending multiple text messages to the victim to show the bully knows exactly what they are doing, where they have been

threatening violence: for example threatening some form of traditional bullying, such as a physical fight.

Read more: Blocking kids from social media won't solve the problem of cyberbullying

from www.shutterstock.com

These forms of cyberbullying occur in one of three ways: direct, by proxy, or by public post (to a wide audience).

Direct attacks are between the bully and victim only, and the identity of the former is known by the latter. Whereas "by proxy" attacks are indirect, and the bully typically tricks someone else into cyberbullying the victim. This means the bully convinces someone else to post something online about the victim, with that person not realising it's intended to hurt or embarrass the victim.

Cyberbullying may also involve the posting of the above-mentioned behaviours to a wide audience via social media, a website or a blog. This can include creating a false social media account of another person.

Cyberbullying can occur on any number of platforms. It can occur via social networking sites such as Facebook or Instagram, or through popular apps such as Snapchat. It can also occur through text messages and emails, or via question-and-answer type platforms such as askFM (an anonymous platform for asking people questions). There's no way of knowing which platform could be used to cyberbully someone and there's not always a preference.

Though direct and public cyberbullying are both very serious, young people perceive public cyberbullying to be worse than the private form, with anonymous attacks being more severe than non-anonymous.

Read more: Social media can be bad for youth mental health, but there are ways it can help

Why do young people cyberbully eachother?

There are many reasons young people cyberbully each other. While traditional bullies lack empathy, technology tends to magnify this due to the anonymity it can provide, as well as the lack of an immediate visible response from the victim that is often evident in traditional bullying. So cyberbullying can often be considered "easier", as the bully does not have to face the victim or see their response. In a sense, it may involve "less effort" than traditional bullying.

It's well documented that victims of cyberbullying can have serious mental health concerns. Similarly, being a cyberbully is linked to more maladaptive behaviours (inability to cope with certain environments) and social anxiety problems.

But those who are categorised as cyberbully-victims (individuals who engage in cyberbullying both as victims and as bullies) experience the most severe problems, being more depressed and anxious than those who are solely cybervictims or cyberbullies, or not involved in cyberbullying.

It's obvious cyberbullying among young people needs to be stamped out. While banning social media altogether is not a practical solution, educating young people about respectful behaviour towards others, and reminding them about the terrible consequences associated with cyberbullying, may one day sink in.

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How cyberbullies overtly and covertly target their victims

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We hear a lot about cyberbullying, but we hear less about what it actually constitutes. Cyberbullying is defined as an aggressive, intentional act using electronic forms, repeatedly and over time, against a victim who can't easily defend against it. As technology evolves continuously, cyberbullying originally was restricted to the sending of emails and texts.

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There are different ways and types. There is persistent cyber-bullying, which is probably the worst one since everyone has a smart phone nowadays with Facebook and Instagram and Twitter going 24/7. Even if you walk away it won't stop since the messages can keep on coming.
There is also permanent bullying. Once something is posted it may not be able to be removed. It can affect your reputation for the rest of your life. If you are up for a job and your name is searched then images or posts could be found.
Cyber-bullying can also be hard to notice. Even if a teacher or adult is watching they may not notice. The bully could be very subtle with what they post or say that no one is the wiser.
I wouldn't have thought that cyber-bullying could or would take place through so many different ways including gaming, text, email, apps or online presence. There really is not getting away from it.

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Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:

Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok

Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices

Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet

Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit

Email

Online gaming communities

Special Concerns

With the prevalence of social media and digital forums, comments, photos, posts, and content shared by individuals can often be viewed by strangers as well as acquaintances. The content an individual shares online - both their personal content as well as any negative, mean, or hurtful content - creates a kind of permanent public record of their views, activities, and behavior. This public record can be thought of as an online reputation, which may be accessible to schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others who may be researching an individual now or in the future. Cyberbullying can harm the online reputations of everyone involved - not just the person being bullied, but those doing the bullying or participating in it. Cyberbullying has unique concerns in that it can be:

Persistent - Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.

Permanent - Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.

Hard to Notice - Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.

Laws and Sanctions

All states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying. As cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying, or mention cyberbullying offenses, under these laws. Schools may take action either as required by law, or with local or school policies that allow them to discipline or take other action. Some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance. You can learn about the laws and policies in each state, including if they cover cyberbullying.

Frequency of Cyberbullying

There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:

The 2017 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) indicates that, among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15% were bullied online or by text.

The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that an estimated 15.7% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months prior to the survey.

See also " Frequency of Bullying."

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Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else.

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This picture is also showing how much cyber-bullying can hurt physically when you don't really think you are. Those words that are being said are very intimidating to whoever they are being said about. It is easy to talk bad about someone when you can't see their face or have them respond immediately. Typing something on the computer and walking away is simple. What they don't see if the other person when they read it and others see it and it just spreads. One person sees it, then someone else, then another and another and before you know it, everyone is thinking the same thing since that is how social media works.

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This video was interesting to listen to as they discuss how words can be completely innocent in the right context. How the word 'fat' is just a descriptive word but if you use it in a way to be mean it is no longer an innocent word. Also in how to help stop cyber-bullying and reporting posts to the administrators. Unfortunately this is hard because once the post it out there, and the person it was intended for reads it, it has already done the damage and there is no taking that back. My daughter is getting to the age where she will be asking for Facebook soon and I really hope that we can deter her for as long as possible. She has no interest right now but I am sure it is coming.

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What are the effects of cyber-bullying on teens?

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Cyber-bullying is using technology to harass someone. This article went on to explain that there are different reasons people are bullied and different ways. Someone might be bullied because of the color of their skin, or their religion, or sexual orientation or even because of their physical differences. They can be bullied by a text message, Facebook message, email, note, picture, or something posted online. It can be on purpose or by accident. Someone might post a picture or make a comment that they are saying or posting as something that they think is funny and just mean it as a joke but the person they are targeting may be offended, or someone else who heard it may make it seem mean when that was not the intention at all. This class has gone into how in some areas if a woman's skin is to dark then they could not be considered high class, or how in some countries they women and now some men all get plastic surgery to make them look a specific way that they all seem to look the same way as media has made them feel that there is only one to look to be beautiful.
It also went on to explain different ways to try to stop the bullying. Walk away which is easier then it seems unfortunately when you are in the moment. And even if you do the person may follow. Don't retaliate, this one also sounds easy but sometimes you feel that you should make them feel how you feel. Block them, easy enough, until they create another profile or borrow someone else's. One other one was to report them, hopefully the punishment is enough to make them stop. I am certainly glad I am not a teen in this day and age. I wouldn't want to be in this position and wouldn't want to be bullied. I do worry about my daughter and hope that she will be strong if she is bullied and know that there are many resources to help her including her family. And if she does decide that she is going to be the bully then she better expect there to be consequences as that will not be acceptable at all. No matter what someone is doing it will never be acceptable to bully them back or be the bully.

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What Is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. Online threats and mean, aggressive, or rude texts, tweets, posts, or messages all count. So does posting personal information, pictures, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass someone else.

Cyberbullying also includes photos, messages, or pages that don't get taken down, even after the person has been asked to do so. In other words, it's anything that gets posted online and is meant to hurt, harass, or upset someone else.

Intimidation or mean comments that focus on things like a person's gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, or physical differences count as discrimination, which is against the law in many states. That means the police could get involved, and bullies may face serious penalties.

Online bullying can be particularly damaging and upsetting because it's usually anonymous or hard to trace. It's also hard to control, and the person being victimized has no idea how many people (or hundreds of people) have seen the messages or posts. People can be tormented nonstop whenever they check their device or computer.

Online bullying and harassment can be easier to commit than other acts of bullying because the bully doesn't have to confront their target in person.

What Are the Consequences of Cyberbullying?

Sometimes, online bullying, like other kinds of bullying, can lead to serious long-lasting problems. The stress of being in a constant state of upset or fear can lead to problems with mood, energy level, sleep, and appetite. It also can make someone feel jumpy, anxious, or sad. If someone is already depressed or anxious, cyberbullying can make things much worse. Students who are cyberbullied can struggle to concentrate in school, which can affect how well they do there.

It's not just the person being bullied who gets hurt. The punishment for cyberbullies can be serious. More and more schools and after-school programs are creating systems to respond to cyberbullying. Schools may dismiss bullies from sports teams or suspend them from school. Some types of cyberbullying may violate school codes or even break anti-discrimination or sexual harassment laws. So a bully may face serious legal trouble.

Why Do People Do It?

Why would someone be a cyberbully? There are probably as many reasons as there are bullies themselves.

Sometimes, what seems like online harassment may be accidental. The impersonal nature of text messages, posts, and other ways of communicating online means it can be hard to figure out if someone is joking or not.

Most people know when they're being bullied, though, because bullying involves repeated insults or threats. The people doing the bullying know they've crossed a line, too. It's not a one-off joke or insult - it's constant harassment and threats that go beyond typical fun teasing or a nasty comment made in anger.

What Can I Do About Cyberbullying?

Sometimes, people are afraid or not sure if they're being bullied or not. So they don't do anything about it. If you're being bullied, harassed, or teased in a hurtful way - or know someone who is - you don't have to suffer in silence. In fact, you absolutely should report any upsetting texts, messages, posts, or emails.

Tell someone. Most experts agree: The first thing to do is tell an adult you trust. This is often easier said than done. People who are cyberbullied may feel embarrassed or reluctant to report a bully. Some may hesitate because they're not 100% sure who is doing the bullying. But bullying can get worse, so speak up until you find someone to help. Sometimes the police can track down an anonymous online bully, so it's often worthwhile to report it.

Most parents are so concerned about protecting their kids that sometimes they focus on taking major steps to stop the bullying. If you're being bullied and worry about losing your phone or computer privileges, explain your fears to your parents. Let them know how important it is to stay connected, and work with them to figure out a solution that doesn't leave you feeling punished as well as picked on. You may have to do some negotiating on safe phone or computer use - the most important thing is to first get the bullying under control.

You also can talk to your school counselor or a trusted teacher or family member. If the bullying feels like it's really getting you down (like if it's affecting your sleep or concentration), therapy can help. If you're not ready for that, you can still benefit from the support of a trusted adult.

Walk away. What you've heard about walking away from a real-life bully works in the virtual world too. Ignoring bullies is the best way to take away their power, but it isn't always easy to do - in the real world or online.

If you see something upsetting, try to step away from the computer or turn off your phone for a while. Don't respond, and never forward the message to someone else. Find something to distract yourself from what's going on. Do something you love that doesn't give you time to think about what's happening, like playing the guitar, going for a run, or losing yourself in a book or movie. You can also just chat with a parent or sibling or play with a pet.

Taking a break like this allows you to keep things in perspective and focus on the good things in your life. It also gives you time to figure out how you want to handle things.

Resist the urge to retaliate or respond. Walking away or taking a break when you're faced with online bullying gives you some space so you won't be tempted to fire back a response or engage with the bully or bullies. Responding when we're upset can make things worse. (Standing up to a bully can be effective sometimes, but it's more likely to provoke the person and escalate the situation.) Taking a break gives the power back to you!

Although it's not a good idea to respond to a bully, it is a good idea to save evidence of the bullying if you can. It can help you prove your case, if needed. You don't have to keep mean emails, texts, or other communications where you see them all the time - you can screenshot them or ask a parent to make a copy or save them to a flash drive.

Report bullying. Social media sites take it seriously when people post cruel or mean stuff or set up fake accounts. If users report abuse, the site administrator may block the bully from using the site in the future. If someone sends you mean texts or emails, report it to phone service or email providers (such as Comcast, Google, and Verizon).

Block the bully. Most devices have settings that let you electronically block the bully or bullies from sending notes. If you don't know how to do this, ask a friend or adult who does.

Be safe online. Password protect your smartphone and your online sites, and change your passwords often. Be sure to share your passwords only with your parent or guardian. It's also wise to think twice before sharing personal information or photos/videos that you don't want the world to see. Once you've posted a photo or message, it can be hard or even impossible to delete. So remind yourself to be cautious when posting photos or responding to someone's upsetting message.

If a Friend Is a Bully

If you know of a friend who is acting as a cyberbully, take them aside and talk about it. Without putting your friend down, stand up for your own principles: Let the bully know it's not OK.

Explain to your friend that bullying can have serious consequences: for the bully, for those being bullied, and even for bystanders like you and your friends.

You can read more about how to stop bullying at Stopbullying.gov.

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Using technology to bully is a problem that's on the rise. The good news is awareness of how to prevent cyberbullying is growing even faster. See our tips on what to do.

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This picture really hit me when I saw it. It is just a simple picture but it speaks volumes when you really look at it. Even though cyber-bullying is not something that physically hurts someone it can definitely feel like it. These 2 have no idea the hurt they are causing by what they are saying online about this young man. By the looks on their faces they are trying to be mean, they know what they are doing and want to hurt this young man. What they don't see is that they are punching him and even though it is not a physical punch it can still feel like you are being punched in the gut. They also can't see his reaction, so what they think is funny at the time may not seem so funny when they realize that they have hurt this young man.

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This picture really shows how much words can hurt someone. This young woman is so upset by what she is reading and the words that are in the background are not very nice words when used to describe someone. We read a lot about photo-shopping and how media changes the looks and these words would describe someone who is not any of those things. Some of the words wouldn't hurt under some circumstances, for instance, fat, this could just be a descriptive word but media has made it such a bad word since being fat makes someone unattractive.

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This video speaks more to the extreme  consequences of cyber-bullying but unfortunately it is a reality of it. Her daughter who was beautiful was bullied to the point that she took her own life. Her "friends" thought she was fat and unattractive and it's sad that is what media has made them think. If media had shown more overweight models or more with not so much make-up then maybe they would not have thought that way. It was also interesting to hear her talk about what teens think when it comes to getting help. They didn't want a parent or adult to get involved but would prefer a friend or even someone their own age who they didn't know to stand up for them. Makes me really wonder that if just one person would stand up for that person being bullied then would that make a change. It was also hard to hear that the boy that liked her was not real, which is a reality, but that it was a friends mom which really makes you realize that it is not just the teens that are doing the bullying. Parents are either getting involved in the wrong way or doing it themselves. As a mom I couldn't imagine creating a fake account and talking to my kid's friends trying to get information.

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What Kids Have To Say About Bullying And How To End It | Tina Meier | TEDxBend

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I like that this video calls cyber-bullying a virus, since that is what is really is. Since a virus is an infection, this could be considered a cyber infection. It may not be affecting the person physically but it is definitely affecting the person mentally and in this day and age where mental disorders are taking over it is worse then a physical ailment. This video shows how quickly it can spread. One of the kids gets it and shows it to another kid who forwards it and before you know it the whole school has seen one mean comment or unflattering picture. The picture could be something that without the influence of media could be beautiful or an innocent photo. Since media has set the standards to be that if you are not skinny, and have a thigh gap with the flowing hair, you are not beautiful or attractive. With the way that media has portrayed beauty and these young people are basing their opinions on what they are told to beli