Governments begin to battle cyberbullying
Published: Monday, April 26, 2010
Online bullying, also referred to as electronic bullying or online social cruelty is causing worldwide concern as the use of social networking sites continues to grow.
In January, the trend claimed another life: Pheobe Prince, an Irish immigrant who had moved to Massachusetts last year. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, cyberbullying is the “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices.” It can be done in various ways including sending hateful e-mails, referred to as “flame mail” or “hate mail,” and through the forwarding of personal information or photos via electronics devices, as well as social networking sites, chat rooms, and blogs.
Cyberbullies are becoming creative with victimizing their prey by posing as other people online to gain the trust of their targets and using all information obtained against them. Recording fights and uploading them to websites like YouTube is a recent trend fueled by the use of camera phones, spurring another form of cyberbullying.
Since virtual harassment has become widespread, the United States has orchestrated many efforts to combat it, such as creating websites informing the public of its prevalence and severity. Different states are introducing new legislation, like the recent bill in Louisiana making electronic bullying a misdemeanor.
European countries like Poland, Belgium and the United Kingdom are taking initiatives as the trend continues. “34.3 percent of Belgian teenagers have been bullied via internet or mobile phone” and “52 percent of Polish Internet users aged 12-17 have been exposed to abuse on the Web or via mobile phones,” according to Europe’s Information Society, a part of the European Commission which provides all the latest information about the European Union.
The European Commission, which encompasses all EU Member countries, as well as Iceland and Norway, launched the campaign, Safer Internet Day last year, aimed at educating and empowering students to practice restraint while on the Internet and encouraging them to report any instances of online abuse.
In Asia, there is reported to be an increase in torment by means of technological devices. It is rampant in South Korea, a well-connected country, according to the Tampa Tribune. A great deal of stress combines with the drive to succeed, since South Korean culture demands exceptional academic success of their children.
According to Factoidz.com, South Korean culture is “a highly regimented culture in which the young are discouraged from speaking their minds with parents, teachers and bosses.” Due to this, young people are seeking refuge and airing out frustration on the ’net, sometimes maliciously, as their only opportunity to express themselves or let off steam.
According to Voice of America, “The National Police Agency [of South Korea] receives tens of thousands of complaints every year but there is not much that can be done to stop it since attackers are often anonymous.”
The anonymity of the Internet seems to lure people to lash out at others with the notion that they will not get caught. Such bullies can hide safely behind a computer, use fake profiles on social networking sites and set up fake e-mail addresses and screen names solely for this purpose.
The sense of not getting caught along with the immediacy technology provides, promotes aggressive behavior from not only young people, but also adults. The fact that cyberbullying only affects adolescents is a misconception.
The ease of not having to confront someone in person and having access to an infinite amount of targets on the web may very well appeal to adults as well.
Cyberbulling, whether done by children, teens or adults, can have severe physiological effects on its targets including depression, seclusion, self-hatred and even contemplation of suicide.
In reaction to the concerns caused by cyberbullying, Louisiana is now in the process of passing a bill which states that harassing or intimidating someone by text message, e-mail or posts on Facebook would be considered “cyberbullying.”
If the bill passes, actions such as these will become a crime.
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