Bullying Common In Cyberspace Among Teens

[David Baxter PhD]

Bullying Common In Cyberspace
ScienceDaily
Oct. 3, 2008

A new study in the Journal of School Health reveals that cyberbullying is common among teens who are frequent internet users, with 72 percent of respondents reporting at least one incident during the past year.

Online bullying was associated with increased distress, as well as with in-school bullying, with 85 percent of respondents who reported at least one online incident also reporting being bullied in school. Most of the bullied teens did not tell their parents about the online incidents. They felt the need to deal with the problem on their own and were fearful of parental restrictions on internet use.

These findings are based on an anonymous web-based survey of 1, 454 youth between the ages of 12 to 17, conducted by Jaana Juvonen, Ph.D., and Elisheva F. Gross, Ph.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles.

?Just as school-based bullying is considered a public health concern, online bullying should be recognized as an issue that needs attention,? the authors conclude. ?Because of the generation gap in electronic communication, however, parents and educators need to better understand both the positive and negative functions of teen online behavior.?

Reference: Juvonen et al. Extending the School Grounds?-Bullying Experiences in Cyberspace. Journal of School Health, 2008; 78 (9): 496

 

[Lana]

The sad part is that adult chat sites are not immune to bullying. In fact, some adults can be quite cruel and vicious in their taunting, gossiping, and harassment. What makes it worse is that as an adult, you're expected to take care of yourself and not complain. And if you do complain, you get a lot of "well, this is just online", or "it's not real", or "put them on ignore" type of responses. To add insult to injury, many will then play nice with the bully to avoid becoming his or her target, while the targets are ostracized.

 

[white page]

Hi,

To add insult to injury, many will then play nice with the bully to avoid becoming his or her target, while the targets are ostracized.

this is so sad , that power games are played on the net as well , I find this uncomprehensible , the need to humiliate and harass someone in real life or on the net . but what is worse is the tacit collaboration out of cowardlice.
again uncomprehensible . It takes so little to say "NO , this is wrong and should be stopped."
Maybe society in general has an inappropriate tolerance for this sort of behaviour in the type of education we give and the messages we put over , I just don't know ?:noidea:
whitepage