Cyber bullying is one of the many forms of online crime. As its name suggest, a cyber bully has one main aim – to affect another human being in a negative way. Cyber bullying causes embarrassment, fear and insult. Its effects can often be extremely harmful.
Cyber bullies send messages, images and use instant messaging programs to harass others and to hurt them.
Most commonly, children and teenagers become the victims of cyber bullying. Fear and shame often prevent victims from complaining and seeking their rights. Often, cyber bullying remains unpunished while the victims suffer silently without ever telling what is going on.
CYBER BULLYING STRATEGIES
Cyber bullies make use of various methods to harass victims and to make them suffer.
One of the strategies involves the repeated sending of the same e-mail or insulting text message.
Other times, the victim could receive embarrassing photos or such could be posted in blogs, forums and social media. Cyber bullies will use all available channels to insult and cause harm to their victims.
Spam messages and insulting postings can often bring the victim to despair. This form of harassment can be very effective. Often, the reputation of the victim is entirely ruined and a social status experiences major changes.
Occasionally, cyber bullies may gain access to personal data, using it to further insult and harass the specific individual. This personal data will be presented in forums, blogs and other websites that have large readership.
SOME NUMBERS ON CYBER BULLYING
The National Crime Prevention Council has already worked on statistics related to cyber bullying and its pervasiveness.
Cyber bullying figures among teens are troublesome. According to the NCPC statistics, 81 percent of teens cyber bully others because they consider this form of insult to be entertaining.
Only 11 percent of the children and teenagers who experienced cyber bullying took the issue to their parents. Others tried to manage all alone. About 30 percent of the children who experienced cyber bullying sought revenge.
About half of the teens questioned said that cyber bullying is very popular since most often cyber bullies remain unpunished.
WHAT DOES CYBER BULLYING CAUSE?
Naturally, cyber bullying targets mainly the self-confidence of the victim. It can lead to depression, anxiety and nervousness.
USA Today and other media even report of suicide cases related to cyber bullying involving very emotional and vulnerable victims. The fact that teens fail or refrain to look for assistance aggravates the situation even further.
A cyber bully mainly aims to affect the lifestyle and emotional status of the victim. Even adults can become the victims of these malicious intentions. In some instances, individuals lose their social status and find themselves unable to work and complete tasks effortlessly.