A Closer Look Into Cyber Bullying

When a child becomes a teenager he or she receives the privilege of unsupervised time on the computer and cell phone. Teenagers abuse this freedom by mistreating other students through these devices. This new generation has become dependent on social networks causing children face their problems through a screen rather than face to face and in person. According to statistics 81% of young people think that bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person. Even though social networks are becoming more popular, this does not mean that teenagers should be able to use these cites to harass one another through cyber bullying.

Cyber bullying is harassment that takes place in using electronics by sending harsh text messages, nasty e-mails, and the spreading of rumors by social networks. This type of bullying can happen twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and when a child is alone.

Teenagers are harassed, humiliated, embarrassed, or threatened over cyber bullying. This harassment usually happens more than once and can continue for months at a time. It is difficult to erase the damage of cyber bullying off of social network pages because some embarrassing pictures and false rumors are sent anonymously. These victims have no way of erasing something that has been posted and that continues to haunt them. When a teenager becomes a victim of cyber bullying it is common for he or she to handle the situation on his or her own.

There are plenty of signs to detect if a child is being bullied. Victims of bullying tend to skip school and their grades decline due to a lack of concentration. Students are more worried about what others are saying and their safety, then paying attention to their teacher’s lesson. Teenage...

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... them, they will display noticeable symptoms. A major symptom parents should keep an eye out for is depression, withdrawing from others, and ongoing sadness. Just like Sharon Hall has expressed, it is significantly important to be included in a child’s social network. It is very common to overlook these symptoms and mistake them for a teenager’s temperamental attitude during middle school years. Parents who see a problem should confide in school authorities to stop the abuse. If the school authorities do not put a stop to the bullying, contact local police. The possibility of criminal charges may scare the bullies to stop the harassment. It’s obvious that preventing this problem from happening is very difficult but it can be controlled early. Even though parents cannot be with their children throughout the day in school, they can monitor their time on the computer.