Perils of Cyber Bullying

The are many perils of cyber bullying, each of them having many negative emotional effects on both the victim and the bully. These effects are hard to recognize, and for parents and peers to be able to recognize this form of bullying among children and friends is important. Many children have committed suicide because of cyber bullying, so it is crucial for society to be able to connect certain behaviors with the possibility of online-problems.

There are many different types of cyber bullying, and to be able to learn about what they are is important. This is because many people do not realize that even the smallest action could be cyber bullying, and could possibily lead the victim into a form of emotional pain. The first type of cyber bullying is called Flaming. Flaming is when two or more people participate in online fights using rude and vulgar words to hurt one another. Harassment is when one person repeatedly sends upsetting and offensive messages to a victim. Denigration is when someone will “diss” another by spreading rumors or false information about someone using the internet. A victim may be Outed or Tricked when a bully will disperse private information about the victim, or may trick the victim into revealing private information, then revealing it to peers in a harmful way. Impersonation is the most common way of cyber bullying. It is when a bully will pretend to be someone else by stealing a peer’s e-mail or MSN password and posting material to damage a person’s reputation. The last form of cyber bullying is called Cyberstalking. This very serious meathod of bullying involves repeated and intense harassment where the bully will threaten the victim, ultimately creating fear within the victim.

So what are the perils of all these types of bullying? If a victim is being cyber bullied, they will begin to show a series of change in behavior or personality, which could possibly, if the case is serious enough, send the victim into a state where they are hurting themselves, or may even want to commit suicide. If a child or teenager is being bullied, they will probably start to go into a state of depression, anxiety and anger towards themselves and others around them. This is a way for the victim to push themselves away from others, so that their parents, teachers and peers may not see what they actually are feeling. The victim’s grades could drop, and they may be getting less sleep at night. The victim may in turn also start to bully others who are younger than them or who are believed to be a “lesser” of theirs. This would, eventually, cause more and more cyber bullying within elementary schools all the way up to universities.