Bullying has existed in many different forms and is most frequently experienced in school settings. Most commonly this behavior takes the form of purposeful physical and verbal abuse, and most often is perpetrated by stronger or more powerful children or teenagers against those who are perceived as weaker or more vulnerable. Because of the increased availability of electronic devices and the use of the Internet, cyber bullying has become an increasing problem because it is a form of harassment that can be anonymous as well as devastating to its victims. Recent studies have focused on identifying social factors that are associated with cyber-bullying. This paper will address various traits and values that are viewed as contributing factors to this damaging behavior.
There are certain distinctions between traditional bullying and that which takes place in cyberspace that potentially make cyber-bullying a more serious matter. Because this form of bullying can take place anytime of the day or night, victims may feel trapped because they are aware that they may receive an abusive message any time did they turn on their cell phone or go on the Internet 1. Many of the children or teens engage in cyber-bullying because they believe it is fun and may not have any idea how hurtful it can be to their victims. Research has indicated that cyberbullies are usually intense Internet users, going online on the average of four or more days per week and evaluating their Internet abilities as superior. In addition, they regard the Internet as extremely important and also reveal that there is very little monitoring by parents. Victims of Internet bullies describe themselves as having less confidence about their Internet abilities and spend less time on line.
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"Social Factors And Cyber-Bullying".
When children experience both traditional as well as cyberbullying, they tend to experience similar impacts on their social functioning, such as lower academic abilities, higher stress levels, lower self esteem, changes are interest as well as experiencing a depressed mood. There has been a great deal of academic interest in understanding different characteristics of both cyberbullies as well as victims. Another study found that human values play an important role in the comprehension of bullying behavior. For example, values of responsibility, tolerance, respect and honesty were factors in predicting cyberbullying behavior when they were examined on an individual basis 2. The results of the research found that when people ENGAGED in purely technological behavior, elements of feelings that include joy, attitudes, appreciation, expectations, values and ethics frequently become compromised. The conclusion of this research was that people who have strong moral attitudes are less likely to engage in cyberbullying behavior.
When social scientists analysed bullying behaviors, they found that interestingly, some of the population studied were only engaging in aggressive behavior online but not in person. It is believed that the children who would not ordinarily participate in bullying behavior are more empowered to bully because of the anonymous nature of Internet communication which provides them with physical distance from their victims. Children who use the Internet for the purposes of bullying are able to hide their identities in order to prevent retaliation, and may fear being victimized themselves. The social traits of these children often reflect insecurity and poor self concept, and the characteristic of their victims frequently overlap with the aggressors.
- Twyman, K., Saylor, C., Taylor, L., Comeaux, C. 2010. Comparing children and adolescents engaged in cyberbullying to matched peers. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, And Social Networking.13(2): 195-202.
- Dilmaç, B., Aydoğan, D. 2010. Values as a predictor of cyber-bullying among secondary school students. International Journal of Social Sciences. 5 (3): 185-187.
