Cyberbullying: Understanding and Addressing its Impact on Students

Bullying, is a very popular disease among school students of today. Bullies can often be compared to as endangered species who like to mock others for their own fun and enjoyment, (L. Espleage, 2010, p.10). There are many forms of bullying, however for the purpose of this research paper the focus will be specifically on the indirect form of bullying, known as cyberbullying. This paper will firstly provide you the reader, with definitions of general bullying and cyberbullying. In addition, this paper will investigate why and how cyberbullying is an important issue for secondary education teachers of today and in the future. It will explore behavioural symptoms and signs students may display that teachers can identify as possible cyberbullying

With this in mind, cyberbullying is a major concern to secondary school teachers, due to students being at a developmental stage whereby their academic and personal development is crucial for moulding their characters and future career ambitions. With the release of new model smartphones allowing accessibility anywhere and anytime, the increase in cyberbullying becomes more frequent. Cyberbullying is not just confined to ‘screens’, it can reach out and spread into the non-virtual world. As stated by Allen, (2010), before teachers, families or the community can prevent or intervene in cyberbullying situations, they have to firstly be able to recognise and understand cyberbullying

According to Block, (2014), students feel unpopular, unhappy, students often report feeling afraid in school, react negatively toward school or avoid school altogether. Students of cyberbullying can be disengaged from school, have decreased motivation which can lead to their academic standing to diminish and their grades decline, (Stoel, 2011). Block, (2014), continues to say that previous literature supports the hypothesis that bullying impairs concentration and subsequent academic achievement through student’s loss of interest in all forms of learning. Studies found that male victims of cyberbullying have lower academic grades than their peers, (Block, 2014). Block, (2014) also confirms that students experiencing victimization have poor academic performance, high absenteeism and bad test scores. Students avoid school to escape the feeling of victimization. Cyberbullying can lead to a heightened risk of psychological side effects, such as depression, suicidal attempts, eating disorders and poor self-esteem which can be found to persist into adulthood, (Block, 2014). In addition, Block, (2014), states depression and anxiety make every day activities more difficult, activities like eating, sleeping, working, exercising and engaging in hobbies along with making and keeping relationships with friends. The old saying of, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones,