Cyberbullying: An Overview

In an advanced technological era, social networking platforms have become a vital part of many people’s lives. However, these platforms seem to foster cyberbullying, a form of aggressive behavior which may damage the victim’s mental health. The severity of cyberbullying consequences is increasing rapidly. Research has emphasized that depression, anxiety, stress, and suicide levels are prevailing among adolescents. Therefore, understanding the circumstances which instigate cyberbullying incidents is paramount.

Teachers’ Role in Managing Cyberbullying Incidents

In order to develop solutions that may mitigate the harmful consequences of cyberbullying, it is important to assess teachers’ and parents’ perspectives of cyberbullying.

Teachers can be a substantial part of halting cyberbullying through building strong relationships with their students. Teachers can provide a comfortable atmosphere for communication. The relationship between students and teachers is identified as a critical factor contributing to the protection of students. However, many teachers have a poor experience in managing cyberbullying due to obsolete training programs. Thus, they fail to offer help to students. Consequently, the lack of a cooperative environment refrains students from seeking help. On the other hand, the presence of a teacher who is confident and experienced fortifies the feeling of safety and assurance.

 Technology Use and Influence on Cyberbullying

Previous research has suggested that cyberbullying can be influenced by technology use. As individuals spend more time on technological devices engaging on social media, the more they are susceptible to cyberbullying activities. This issue is mainly due to the special features of social media such as anonymity. Moreover, the fast and easy proliferation of information and the public access to a variety of profiles are other factors. Consequently, these components facilitate cyberbullying activities such as blackmailing private information, spreading rumors, and portraying aggressive.

A research conducted questions the practicality of technological devices since they may subject users of social media to several harmful effects. In fact, several studies imply that cyberbullying decrease the victim’s academic aptitude and capabilities and increase emotional problems such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, developers of platforms such as Facebook and Twitter try to adjust the application’s privacy settings to increase security.

Bystanders’ Impact 

Previous studies have emphasized that bystanders play a crucial role in shaping the outcome of cyberbullying incidents. Individuals who witness such harmful acts may have an impact on all parties involved including the perpetrators and the victims.

The types of bystanders vary, whereby some can instigate cyberbullying acts while others may help reduce them. Macaulay et al. (2018) claim that some students find difficulty in communicating with their teachers about cyberbullying incidents. Thus, bystanders may contribute by informing supervisors. Reporting to supervisors and teachers and keeping them aware of the situation is substantial since it helps in analyzing the prevalence of cyberbullying. Consequently, administrators can address the issue sooner and begin by implementing preventive measures.

Final Thoughts

Cyberbullying, a form of aggressive behavior towards an individual, has become a global phenomenon due to the evolvement of technology. This act has been linked to several critical consequences that threaten the mental and emotional state of individuals, in particular adolescents. Cyberbullying can occur at any place and any time. Thus, the people surrounding possible victims of cyberbullying should be more attentive to signs of victimization or perpetration.