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Hannah Johnson
Devin Patten
English 1010
April 15, 2015
Cyberbullying: Rough Draft #2
Cyberbullying is the distribution of images, verbatim or graphics over the internet with
the intent to harm another individual and is a growing epidemic in society today. It has affected
many individuals, young and old, who have become involved whether they play the role of the
victim, the bully or even just a bystander. Because the playing field for cyberbullying is
completely online it is an extremely difficult action to mediate let alone completely prevent.
Thus, it has the ability to affect any individual regardless of age, social status, gender etc.
However, the use of social media outlets such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram
along with the growing ease of access to each of these sites, has provided the perfect platform for
children attending middle schools to bully one another without the pressures of taking action
face to face. Many studies have provided evidence as to the many negative effects that may be
caused from cyberbullying, what students understand cyberbullying to be and the dangers it
possess for all parties involved.

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Any one individual may fall victim to a cyberbully. It is possible that the victim already
knows the bully from previous encounters in school or extracurricular activities or the possibility
also exists that they have never met before outside of the internet. This particular example of
online contact may come through any number of social media websites that are frequently visited
by pre-teens and teenagers such as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook among many
others. Since the very nature of cyberbullying means that all interactions take place online, there
are essentially no boundaries to this method of abuse as there would be with face to face contact.
In fact, many bullies have gone as far as to create fake profiles in order to deceive their victims
further. At this point they may friend the bully on a website such as Facebook without even
thinking twice in regards to the potential abuse from this seemingly innocent action. Though with
a fake profile, the options are limitless especially if the victim and bully are friends first. The
profile may be that of a complete stranger or a fraudulent account with another individuals name
and information.
As some of these sites allow a comments or posts to be made directed to individuals, they
pose the most threat whereas other sites must have more generalized posts and so the bully is
unable to single out the victim. Rather they must gear the verbal or pictorial material towards the
victim and hope that it has the intended results. Either way, this course of action begins to not
only take an effect on the victim but everyone else that uses these social media websites. This is
because on the internet it is nearly impossible to hide certain post from others. Thus, as everyone
can see the post, everyone becomes involved. These are only a few of the results that may come
from being victimized in the event of cyberbullying.

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Along the same lines, the availability of these social media sites to the general public can
be potentially problematic as not only can anyone have access but it they may also be accessed at
any time and from virtually anywhere with the many devices and technological advancements
that have now been made available to the general public. This makes it very difficult for the
victim to pinpoint where the problem started, who is behind the attacks or how to stop them from
going any further. The first course of action would be to close the account that is posing the
biggest threat. But who is to say that the bully will not just find another site and continue on the
same path? The bully may also alter the form of cyberbullying they are using such as flaming,
harassment, denigration, impersonation (as mentioned above), outing, trickery, exclusion and/or
cyber stalking. Eventually, it becomes very difficult for the victim to hide or avoid their bully.
Not only is it difficult to run from the problem, it is also a matter of social status to the
victim and the impact it would have with their peers if they were to cease the use of any and all
social media outlets. The Internet, mobile phones, and social networking sites have become an
increasingly integral part of adolescent social lives and relationships in contemporary society.
However, the use of the communicative functions of these technologies by some young people to
harass and intimidate each other has led cyberbullying to become a significant concern for
parents, educators, and policy makers. (Bryce and Fraser) In todays society, the use of these
websites has become necessary in the minds of most middle school students if they want to fit in
and be totally accepted by everyone. For this reason, it would be social suicide if they went
chose to close the account. Again recognizing the inability a victim has to run from the bully in
the first place. (Simmons and Bynum)
When considering the position of the victim it is important to recognize the role that they
play in the event of a cyberbully attacking them. For example, what have they done to provoke

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the bully, if anything? Have they made an attempt to confront the bully or end the attacks in
some way? Have they gotten parents, teachers or other adults involved? While in most cases the
victim has done nothing wrong and is merely the target of these vicious attacks that is not always
true. It is possible for a victim to provoke the bully or even egg them on until it has become so
out of hand that the victim releases all control to stop them and then must suffer the abuse. So in
a sense it would be fair to say that the cyberbully is not the only individual at fault. In fact, A
number of those who had been cyberbullied admitted to also being perpetrators. (OBrien and
Moules) So this could be a major weakness in the plight of the victim having no control over the
situation but rather just a pawn in someone elses game.
To take things a step further, most individuals do not seem to grasp is that there is an
equal effect on the child who is the bully as the one who is the victim. Though it may not seem
as extreme to them the negative effects exist nonetheless for both parties. In many cases children
to do not even recognize that the actions they are taking are having severe consequences towards
other individuals. The very nature of social media outlets invites young people to post any and all
thoughts that they have on the internet for the entire world to see. But what happens when these
posts become very personal and intimate or wound their peers? Due to peer pressure many of the
cyberbullies who are causing the damage, are not meaning to harm others but rather are trying to
appear cool to their classmates. It may not be the proper approach but it is often the case.
Among other things, these bullies are often found abusing alcohol or other harmful
substances. They break out in fights outside of the social media world that tend to be very
physical and vandalize property. They may drop out of school and/or engage in various acts of
criminal activity as well. In the most severe and long term cases, cyberbullies take the abusive
behavior beyond their middle school years and into adulthood where they will advance to

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abusing their family and children. Students who have been cyberbullied have committed
suicide, dropped out, or endured torment while in school. (Washington)
So the question must be asked, is the cyberbully a victim as well? Each angle of the
bullies existence provides a different set of information. The bully could knowingly be attacking
their peers or could be doing it all subconsciously. Regardless, someone is being hurt by the
actions and it could have lasting effects on their lives.
Another aspect that would be worth exploring further is the role of the teacher or other
academic advisor within the students school. As many have stated the teacher is the one who
should have control over the situations such as these and prevent such behavior from taking
place. But how would they do this? First and foremost the teacher would be able to do nothing if
they were not already involved in the social activities of students on the aforementioned media
websites. Next they must recognize when cyberbullying is taking place and already have a
predetermined method of discipline. From this point they would put the discipline into action and
respond in a friendly yet firm manner.
However, teachers are only able to see the activities of online activity while students are
on the school grounds. Once they go home it is difficult to track. Many states have enacted
certain laws stating that teachers could not be involved in online activity with students outside of
the classroom. These laws were passed with the purpose of minimizing inappropriate student
teacher relationships or accusations from arising. Thus, the sole responsibility lays in the hands
of the parents to track activity and make sure their child is aware of the dangers in cyberbullying
as a victim or as a bully as each side to the scenario pose a negative threat.
The biggest aspect of this issue seems to be the legality of it all. Many people do not see
eye to eye in regards to how cyberbullying should be dealt with or if it even needs to be dealt

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with in the first place. As stated above there are many individuals involved including the
teachers, bullies, victims and even those who witness such actions without doing anything to
prevent or stop them from taking place. "The US Supreme Court has ruled that there are very
distinct protections of privacy under the Constitution, but it has also ruled that privacy rights
have to be balanced with the school's responsibility to maintain a safe campus," says Areva
Martin, founding and managing partner of Martin & Martin, LLP, a Los Angeles-based law firm.
"So they are trying to address the kinds of violent speech that can lead students to suicide."
(Wood) Because these activities take place on social media where freedom of speech is
recognized, it is difficult to monitor said activity and is constantly being disputed for who should
be held liable. While students are not necessarily making posts on school property, the results
very much affect all of the students who are involved despite their location. For this reason, the
Supreme Court has now ruled that every situation should be treated on a situational basis and a
balance between the two must be met.
Though this line becomes hazy when the damage is no longer strictly emotional but
physical damage begins to set in. Results show that there is a link between personality factors
like trait physical aggression and conscientiousness and this specific type of creativity (Kinga)
It is an inherent trait of cyberbullying that the offenders do not give up easily and progressively
change the method of their attacks so they have more of an effect on the victim. This is why it
may be pertinent for laws to be passed in order to correct the behavior before it goes any further.
Overall, the issue of cyberbullying through social media outlets with middle school
students is that of growing proportions. The results are generally very negative and may often
times end in the severe case of suicide. In order for this to not occur, attention must be brought to
the issue on the student, teacher, parental and societal levels. By doing so, students will begin to

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recognize what cyberbullying looks like, what they signs of emotional damage may be and how
to put an end to it before it progresses beyond the point of recovery. Bullies and victims alike
will benefit from this.

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References
Washington, Edwina Thomas. "An Overview Of Cyberbullying In Higher
Education." Adult Learning 26.1 (2015): 21-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
Davison, Christopher B., and Carl H. Stein. "The Dangers Of Cyberbullying." North
American Journal Of Psychology 16.3 (2014): 595-606. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr.
2015.
KINGA, SZAB, et al. "Creativity And Personality Profiles Of Adolescents Based On
Cyberbullying Roles - Pilot Study." Transylvanian Journal Of Psychology 2 (2014): 181198. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
Suski, Emily F. "Beyond The Schoolhouse Gates: The Unprecedented Expansion Of
School Surveillance Authority Under Cyberbullying Laws." Case Western Reserve Law
Review 65.1 (2014): 63-119. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
SIMMONS, KATE D., and YVETTE P. BYNUM. "Cyberbullying: Six Things
Administrators Can Do." Education 134.4 (2014): 452-456. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2
Apr. 2015.
Bryce, Jo, and James Fraser. "'It's Common Sense That It's Wrong': Young People's
Perceptions And Experiences Of Cyberbullying." Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social
Networking 16.11 (2013): 783-787. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
Eden, Sigal, Tali Heiman, and Dorit Olenik-Shemesh. "Teachers' Perceptions, Beliefs
And Concerns About Cyberbullying." British Journal Of Educational Technology 44.6 (2013):
1036-1052. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.

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OBrien, Niamh, and Tina Moules. "Not Sticks And Stones But Tweets And Texts:
Findings From A National Cyberbullying Project." Pastoral Care In Education31.1 (2013): 5365. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.
Wood, Daniel B. "Cyberbullying: Should schools police students' social media
accounts?." Christian Science Monitor 17 Sept. 2013: N.PAG. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2
Apr. 2015.

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