Cyberbullying: A Rising Concern in the Digital Age

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With the use of the internet increasing, researchers are finding a higher amount of cyberbullying. According to Hinduja and Patchin, “There is no shortage of potential offenders or victims of cyberbullying because of the widespread availability of computers and the Internet in the developed world,” (Hinduja and Patchin, 132). Both the writers make a good point stating this fact. With the amount of technology that is available to students, on different devises, has allowed them to freely communicate. While this is not all bad, there are major downfalls, cyber bullying being a big one. Technology plays an important role in cyberbullying. According to Hinduja and Patchin, “The primary means through which it can occur include the Internet-enabled …show more content…

According to Lenhart, a PEW survey found that teens between 14 and 17 have the highest amount of reported online harassment (Lenhart, 2010). Girls are more prone to experiencing cyber bulling Lenhart stated that 35% of girls that have internet access have experienced some type of online harassment (Lenhart, 2010). Another group that is more susceptible to cyberbullying is social media users. Data found that almost 40% of social media users have experienced some type of harassment while they were online. These statistics are enough to draw concern, due to the consequences that come with …show more content…

Cyberbullying is no exception to this statistic. The two writers also stated that “There have been several high-profile cases involving teenagers taking their own lives in part because of being harassed and mistreated over the Internet (Apollo, 2007; Halligan, 2006; Jones, 2008), a phenomenon recently termed cyberbullicide—suicide indirectly or directly influenced by experiences with online aggression,” (Hinduja and Patchin, 2007). These cases are not a constant issue in every school, but they have happened frequently enough to raise attention to faculty and parents. With adolescents being at such a sensitive age, it is important to remind them that the actions they take can have serious consequences, including

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