Cyberbullying Essay - Grade: A PDF

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1 Cody Loftin Professor Raftery English 106 3/17/19

Cyberbullying is the Way to No One’s Heart When people post things on media, there are usually a few types of responses. Laughter, sadness, or maybe even no reaction at all. Social media is almost like a bunker for people to stand behind while they express their views. The problem with this is that it is a new way for people to bully, while being protected behind a screen. Stated by Barlett, “Online bullying differs from more traditional face-to-face bullying in myriad ways. First, the online nature of cyberbullying necessitates that the bully and the victim do not physically touch, which suggests that cyberbullying is manifested as verbal and/or relational aggression” (Barlett, Heath, Madison, DeWitt, Kirkpatrick 2019 p. 2). This gives people an explanation as to how There is no remorse because their actions have consequences that they cannot see. Bullies do not see the hurt that they cause because their victims are hurting from behind their computer. Some say that it is how people express themselves, but that is an excuse for bullies to be horrible people. Cyberbullying is for the cowards of the world, it leads to more and more insecure expressing themselves, it is raising the self-harm rate around the world, and lets more people not be afraid to speak hurtful words through the internet. Cyberbullying lets the insecure express themselves. Back in the day when there was no Instagram or twitter, bullies had to be bullies face to face with their victims. Nowadays, there is no need for fist to fist contact. People who are not the typical bullies are the ones hurting people. People do not have to be strong and big to be a bully, they just have to have a social media

2 account. There is no real thought about how their words will hurt those they are aimed at, there is only the intent on hurting someone. This is where people see the real damage done, this is where the hurt really sets in. someone can tell the cowards apart from the brave, because the brave goes and defend others, they do not tolerate bullies. They protect and they comfort, they do not attack from behind a screen. Cyberbullying is the lowest form of hurt, and really shows just how horrible a person can really be. Cyberbullying leads to self-harm and personal issues. With the amount of no-thought texts and messages that are thrown out, it is no surprise that the self-harm rate has increased, especially since social media came into play. Society often sees that on movies and television shows, it shows what people go through when bullying occurs, and how it affects their mental health. They might even see the thoughts they go through that lead to suicide, or attempted suicide. Often, they think that things on these shows are not actually what happens in real life because some people have never personally experienced it. But it does happen, and it happens to those all-around society. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among the youth of the United States, according to Toomey Bauman. Stated by Bauman, “Bullying is a huge involvement and has increased the risk for suicide and self-harm, not only in America but in the entire world. “13.8% of high school students reported seriously considering suicide and 6.3% reported attempting suicide at least once” (Bauman, Toomey, Walker, 2013 p. 1). Suicide is the extreme of self-harm, but there are so many levels of self-harm, all extremely dangerous. Shown by Patchin “Research among general samples of adolescents across the world suggests that approximately 13%–18% engage in self-injurious behaviors during their lifetime and that this behavior has been on the rise over the last two decades” (Patchin, Hinduja, 2017 p. 3). With ranging levels of self-harm, there is no putting one underneath of another. All

3 are scary, all are real, and all are possible for young adults and children that are hurting. With access to movies and shows that show the different types of self-harm, there is knowledge and capability for these things to happen. The mind is a crazy place, and when challenged and hurt, can make someone want to do horrible things. Cyberbullying lets the insecure become secure in their words and be someone who the actually are not. Of course, there are some that say that the people hiding behind their screen are using it as an outlet for their thoughts. That they can protect themselves while expressing their opinions. This is false, and there are many reasons why. Most cyberbullying is not just opinions. It is harsh, rude comments about someone’s appearance or their personality. This not only breaks down confidence, it also breaks down people’s knowledge that they had about knowing who they are. All of a sudden, the victim is questioning who they are because their identity has been taken from them and turned into other people’s views. This breakdown is so hard on a person and can ruin their life. This is where people see the self-harm come in to play, because suddenly the victim hates the way that they look and despises who they are. This place can be scary for those that are attacked over social media, and it hard to come back from. Hiding behind a screen is not a way to express your opinions. It is the key to be a coward. Over the past ten years, during the rise of social media, cyberbullying has increased and so has self-harm. There has been an abundance of opinions shared, feelings hurt, and confidence shattered. Not only through words, but through photos and videos. It could be as simple as an “I hate you” or “that dress looks horrible.” To most people, that is not a big deal, but to the person those words were meant for, it seems like the end of the world. People say let the kids express themselves and speak what they are feeling. The outsiders do not truly understand what is happening and only see it as a innocent way to speak words. A video could be funny to some,

4 but it could be humiliating to others. A picture could be cute but embarrassing for the people in it. Cyberbullying can be simple, or it could be the most obvious, hurtful statement. When posting online, people should think about if it is something that is hurtful or helpful to the ones that are going to be seeing the post, or words online. Do not bring people down. Bring kindness, not anger. The culture is missing kindness and self-control, two of the fruits of the spirit. If these can be accomplished, the world would truly be a better and safer place for all those who live in it.

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References Barlett, C. P., Heath, J. B., Madison, C. S., DeWitt, C. C., & Kirkpatrick, S. M. (2019). You’re not anonymous online: The development and validation of a new cyberbullying intervention curriculum. Psychology of Popular Media Culture. https://doiorg.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/ppm0000226 Bauman, S., Toomey, R. B., & Walker, J. L. (2013). Associations among bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide in high school students. Journal of Adolescence, 36(2), 341350. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.12.001 Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2017). Digital self-harm among adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 61(6), 761–766. https://doiorg.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.06.012...