Cyber Bullying as Problem of the Internet

The emphasis of this paper is on steps that may be taken to keep individuals safe from cyberbullying and other forms of online and mobile harassment. The internet plays a vital role in people’s lives every day. My brother has experienced online bullying, which has really affected him especially in school. After having witnessed how his social life changed after being bullied online, I came to a conclusion that much is still needed to prevent people from being bullied online. More than a third of teenagers between ages of 13 and 16 have been bullied online, of which over a third of those polled had experienced it more than once (Shariff 46). As a result, the emphasis of this paper is on steps that may be taken to keep individuals safe from cyberbullying and other forms of online and mobile harassment.

There should be policy balance in cyber-bullying responses to protect students and everyone from internet bullying. The most successful means of preventing cyberbullying are comprehensive school rules that emphasize the need for compassion and caring and restorative justice practices (Mishna 79). To be sure, they think that each school should have its own set of regulations and standards specific to its particular needs and setting (Subrahmanyam and Šmahel 179). In addition, they emphasize the need for regulations to be in place continuously for them to be successful. Given the reality of kids’ computer usage at home, specific policies may need to extend beyond school borders (Cassidy et al. 62). When educators use these rules in their home jurisdictions, they must do so via a locally informed approach that considers their unique cultural context.

However, Internet service providers may not always realize and recognize violations of acceptable internet usage or implement fines for libelous or defamatory websites or aberrant behavior (Pabian and Heidi 193). They claim that it is not their role to be censors of the internet, or morality cops, since they believe it is not in their nature to do so (Mishna 81). That means schools and school boards will have to step up and take on the burden of revising rules, training teachers on proper netiquette (Mishna 78). Therefore, enforcing violations when they occur if ISPs refuse to act as vetting agents to stop cyberbullying.

AUPs for the use and abuse of computers and countless other electronic devices are necessary for district schools, but Board rules should apply a broader way (Sezgin and Cicioğlu 207). Three aspects should be considered while developing a complete Board policy (Shariff 33). Students, teachers, administrators, staff members, and volunteers should be informed on what schools should do when presented with any improper communications, whether written or spoken, as well as the different parts of privacy and access breaches (Pabian and Heidi 199). Cyberbullying, for example, maybe addressed via operational procedures that are tailored to the specifics of the problem.

An inclusive approach to school/home and staff responsibility is required under board policy. In essence, they are responsible for laying down the foundation (Subrahmanyam and Šmahel 189). Furthermore, it is proposed that family internet agreements or contracts should outline acceptable netiquette and abhorrent online behavior and end with mutually agreed upon family mediations, interventions, punishments, or other recourses if such misbehavior occurs (Cassidy et al. 72). Children and adults may benefit from including this feature in acceptable family use online agreements, which ultimately aim to establish a secure, harmonious, and good learning environment.

Finally, mechanisms for dealing with actual misbehavior by students on the internet should be devised from the policy level. When enforcing sanctions for technological misuse, school administrators are faced with a legal problem (Shariff 46). However, they may face substantial sanctions if they do not answer sufficiently or, on the other side, may face civil law actions from parents who think their children were unjustly handled if they reply (Kokkinos et al. 443). Cyberbullying is also illegal under the Criminal Code, which means that educational authorities have no control over certain aspects of cyber-bullying (Pabian and Heidi 201). It is possible to face criminal charges if someone continuously harasses another person, causing them to fear their safety or well-being, and the harassment continues for an extended period (Sezgin and Cicioğlu 145). It is also illegal to publish defamatory remarks with the express intent of damaging or insulting a person’s reputation or putting them in the public eye for scorn, contempt, or ridicule.

The government should hold bullies accountable and implement stringent anti-bullying laws. Government can indeed play a role in protecting children from cyberbullying and intervening to stop it (Subrahmanyam and Šmahel 183). There have been several efforts to enact legislation to combat cyberbullying. Legislation making cyberbullying and electronic threats of harm punishable in court has been passed in 10 states in the recent decade, at the very least (Mishna 79). In other words, cyberbullies are to blame for their actions and should be fined or punished by the law for their actions (Kokkinos et al., 451). A small number of state courts, fearful that criminalizing cyberbullying would violate the First Amendment right to freedom of expression, have adopted or requested criminal responsibility for the act. It’s difficult to hold a cyberbully responsible since there is a difference between a real threat and an empty threat.

In other words, some cyberbullies may use insults or nasty comments to intimidate another person, so threatening them. Legal action may not be warranted if the bully does not show any signs of physical aggression or a desire to hurt another. The court will consider harassment a “true” threat if there are any indications of violence or a desire to hurt another party (Subrahmanyam and Šmahel 179). To combat cyberbullying, the lower courts may become more open to enacting legislation. Lower courts have created a range of standards that might be used to apply cyberbullying statutes in the relevant jurisdiction, notwithstanding the absence of a definitive test from the Supreme Court (Mishna 79). Cyberbullying laws have received little attention from governments and courts, despite the efforts of parents, students, and educators. Cyberbullying is a severe problem that the government should not ignore.

Laws against cyberbullying should be put into place as soon as possible. Cyberbullying’s harmful effects are significantly more severe and critical than previously thought. As cyber-bullying becomes more prevalent, some dispute whether or not it is a problem (Li and Deborah 923). Online, many individuals use language that they would never use in person, such as threats, slurs, and rudeness. In most cases, the recipient of these communications suffers as a result (Mishna 73). Cyberbullying is easy to commit because of the prevalence of social media websites (Cassidy et al. 73). It’s becoming more common for people to use social media sites like Ask.FM (another social media site) to stay anonymous, which adds to the problem. People of all ages, races, and ethnicities are impacted by cyber-bullying. However, the majority of cyber-bullying occurs among young adults. Some youngster says they’ve seen someone being rude to another person over the internet.

Many believe that if social media were banned, the issue of cyberbullying would disappear. A less severe solution to the issue of cyberbullying is to ban social media for those above the age of 18 (Sezgin and Cicioğlu 139). An age restriction on social media and texting might restrict its use to adults solely, as most teenagers are victims of cyberbullying (Kokkinos et al. 439). This would considerably lower the number of people harmed by cyberbullying, but it would not eliminate it. Putting cyberbullying rules and regulations into place is the most excellent way to combat cyberbullying (Pabian and Heidi 203). Since 1934, federal statutes against harassment have been in place, although they are seldom implemented.

For these regulations to be effective, they would have to guarantee the right to free expression while combating cyberbullying. Last but not least, educating the public on the problem of cyberbullying is an effective means of halting it (Sezer et al. 675). It is essential to educate people about the negative effects internet bullying has on its victims to raise awareness of the problem and avoid cyberbullying in the long run (Kokkinos et al. 454). Finally, to keep their children safe from cyberbullying, parents should be held responsible as well (Shariff 37). Parents must first understand what bullying is and what it can do to teach their children the significance of treating others as they would want to be treated.

Many parents aren’t aware of the dangers that the internet poses to their children and teenagers. The capacity to access sources that may or may not be dependable or harmful might put children at risk if they don’t have the proper training or knowledge (Sezer et al. 687). There are various dangers for youngsters and their parents if they aren’t well-informed about their surroundings. The parents should be able to monitor internet use by youngsters. Currently, there are more Internet-enabled gadgets than people on the planet (Li and Deborah 918). People’s dependency on the internet and how it dominates their life is shown by this shocking statistic (Kokkinos et al., 452). Social media, or networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, is one of the fastest-growing aspects of the Internet (Kokkinos et al., 451). Many people overlook the downsides of the internet and other forms of social media, even though they provide tremendous benefits to society.

Limiting the amount of time spent on social media by underage is crucial. There should be a restriction on the number of time kids under the age of 18 may spend on the internet (Subrahmanyam and Šmahel 183). Parents must educate their children about the dangers of overusing the internet and how to avoid them (Sezgin and Cicioğlu 134). Internet safety education for adolescents before using it might help avert many of these problems (Sezgin and Cicioğlu 133). Many individuals feel that social media is perfectly acceptable for children and teenagers since it is so helpful and valuable to them.

As a result, parents believe that their kids will not be affected by these difficulties, even if they seldom use the Internet (Li and Deborah 929). It doesn’t matter how seldom an adolescent logs on to Facebook; their classmates will continue to send them abusive messages and post on their page to torment them. If and when these circumstances arise, teenagers should be taught how to cope with them to avoid damaging their self-esteem and filling them with self-loathing or sadness (Sezer et al. 679). No one can be 100% secure online, which is why parents must stress the significance of Internet safety.

Because social media is readily available to children and teens, they are particularly vulnerable to these challenges. Overusing the internet may lead to the development of Social Anxiety Disorder in teenagers since they prefer to communicate online rather than face-to-face (Sezer et al. 681). As a result of cyberbullying, adolescent suicide rates have risen, and student grades have deteriorated. Children and teenagers who excessively use social media may face long-term consequences, but these problems might be avoided totally if they are taught how to use the internet responsibly (Cassidy et al. 78). By educating parents and children about the dangers of the internet, individuals may help prevent these problems from occurring in the first place (Li and Deborah 929). Many of these problems may have been avoided if social media usage by young people had been restricted.

There has been a substantial increase in the usage of the internet throughout the years. The internet serves as a repository for all kinds of public information. A wide range of information may be found on the internet, from current affairs to scientific research to educational resources. We now communicate in ways that were previously unimaginable because of the internet. People created the internet to share and access knowledge, but as time has passed, the internet has come to be seen as a source of controversy. Cyberbullying, a lack of face-to-face communication, and online addiction are all evil themes that have arisen with the internet’s growth. Being called names or making fun of one’s looks is typical bullying for many youngsters. For this reason, parents are ignorant that cyberbullying is occurring in their children’s lives. Teenagers are reluctant to come up with their experiences of being bullied online because they fear being isolated.

Works Cited

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