by Matthew Tyler Funk

Created on: October 14, 2010

Cyberbullying is a new form of bullying which has the potential to spread far beyond the schoolyard into a student's personal and family life at home. Given that many employers are now also screening potential employees on social networking sites like Facebook, this new form of bullying even has the power to do direct damage to the target's future employment potential. Malicious videos and images can go viral, causing unwanted online celebrity status under unflattering or humiliating circumstances.

Due to cyberbullying's far reaching effects, it is a much more dangerous from of bullying than has ever been possible before. Bullying has always been harmful but technology and social networking websites have created a cyberbullying phenomenon which actually has the ability to quite literally ruin lives. Also, unlike conventional bullying, cyberbullying actually becomes more and more harmful as students grow older, since as students grow older they tend to spend more time online. Some of the most malicious cases of cyberbulling involve grown adults on college campuses.

One example is Rutgers University student Tyler Parenti, who committed suicide early in the fall 2010 semester after his college roommates secretly recorded him having a homosexual encounter and broadcast it across social networking sites. Three days later, Tyler posted on facebook: "Going to Jump off the GW Bridge. Sorry." Although his body was not found, Tyler's car was found parked close to where a man was seen plummeting from the George Washington Bridge. His cell phone and computer were inside.

Cyberbullying is even common in the adult workplace, raising the possibility that it could be used against teachers as well. The National Crime Prevention Council in the United States defines cyberbullying as "when the internet, cellphones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person."

Younger children are susceptible to cyberbullying as well and children seem to become more vulnerable around the age of 12 or 13. Ryan Halligan hung himself in October 2003 as a result of cyberbullying. Another young victim of cyberbullying, Megan Meier, committed suicide by hanging in October of 2006, two weeks before her 14th birthday.

Statistically, cyberbullying tends to be most harmful at the beginning of the school year when students are struggling to establish a place for themselves in the social hierarchy. However, cyberbullying can happen at any time of the school year, and to any person regardless of age. Even the teacher herself may be a target of cyberbullying. It's therefore important for teachers to understand what the phenomenon is, and how to prevent it. Less reliance on technology in the classroom can go a long way in lessening the harmful and dangerous impact of cyberbullying.

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