by Celia Winchester

Created on: April 15, 2010

When it comes to bullying most people think of the traditional stereotype of, “Give me your lunch money,” or, “I'll see you after class!” However with the increasing access to the Internet from almost any electronic device, children are more vulnerable to bullying on a higher level. With sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Skpe, Bebo, and hi5 bullies have a greater advantage to administer torment behind their cyber masks.

Anonymity: something that a screen and a keyboard provide for many of us as we sit down in front of our computers. The ability to be yourself or to be someone else without anyone else knowing it. A sense of power comes over you because you know that no one can see the real you through circuits and wires. Where this may be a sense of relief for some people, it is sheer torment for others. Being attacked by an unseen force can be the most stressful and horrifying thing that anyone can endure. Where the Internet brings the power of knowledge, it also brings the power of destruction. From accessing personal information to publicly humiliating someone, the Internet allows bullies to go along with their business in a cowardly manner.

Cyber Bullying can lead to devastating consequences such as self mutilation and even suicide by its victims. “Looking at the most recent victims of cyber bullying, both boys and girls are likely to report feeling angry, sad, and embarrassed. Slightly more girls than boys feel frustrated, while significantly more boys are scared as a result of cyber bullying” (Hinduja, & Patchin, 2010). Children are greatly affected by bullying through the Internet, with most of it going undetected until it is too late.

As parents it is our duty to be more aware of our children's activities on the Internet. Even though children may be scared, many are not likely to make the abuse known to an adult. It is the job of parents and adults in guardian roles to make sure that they find ways to ensure the safety of their children while on the Internet. Schools should have cyber bullying workshops for students to explain what cyber bullying is, how to identify it, and how to prevent it from happening. If more students were educated and made aware that they are not the only ones going through such torment, they would be more likely to come forward about the torture and make it stop.

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