Causes and Prevent Cyber Bullying

1169 Words5 Pages
What is Cyberbullying? Online bullying, or cyberbullying, occurs frequently to teens using the Internet, cell phones or other devices. These teens often experience texts or images intended to hurt or embarrass them. Almost half of all American teens are victims of cyber bullying. Whether you’ve been a victim of cyberbullying or know someone who has been cyberbullied, there are steps you and your friends can take to stop cyberbullying and stay cyber-safe. How are people cyberbullied? Cyberbullying occurs when an individual uses the Internet or another form of technology to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. In some cases a person may pretend that they are another person online to trick others. They could spread lies and rumors about victims, trick people into revealing personal information, send or forward mean text messages, and post pictures of victims without their consent. Is bullying the same as cyberbullying? What makes them different? While bullying occurs as a face-to-face confrontation, cyberbullying occurs online and involves the use of technologies. Cyberbullying can be even more vicious than bullying since cyberbullying can occur repeatedly in front of a massive online audience, with the cyberbully’s identity unknown, while the victim feels helpless because the attacks can come from several different online sources day in and day out. Why do people cyberbully others? People who cyberbully others are often driven by feelings of anger, revenge, and frustration. In many cases, cyberbullies were once victims of bullying who weren’t guided in the proper direction. However, the power-hungry are the most nefarious; they cyberbully with the pure intent of tormenting others or bolstering their ego. Luckily, most cyberbullies do not fall into that category. In a recent poll, 81% of cyberbullies have stated that
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