Cyberbullying: Definition, Effects, Laws, and Prevention

Introduction

The advent of digital technology has transformed traditional forms of bullying, moving them into the online sphere. While cyberbullying by definition lacks direct physical aggression, it may accompany it. Cyberbullying bears most of the marks of traditional bullying and is characterized by a power imbalance in the social contract (Englander, Donnerstein, Kowalski, et al., 2017). Some teasing is inevitable online, but when digital technology is used to harass or hurt another person in any way, it can cause tremendous psychological harm and even result in lifelong consequences.

Parents, teachers, and school administrators may be only tacitly aware of the problem of cyberbullying without really understanding how to recognize it, how to prevent it, or how serious it can be. In many ways, cyberbullying is easier to carry out than traditional bullying. For one, the perpetrator can hide behind a cloak of anonymity if desired—something that could not happen in face-to-face encounters. In one survey, 81% of teens admitted that bullying someone online is "easier to get away with" than physical or in-person bullying ("11 Facts About Cyberbullying," n.d.).

Second, the smartphone has practically become an appendage for many young people, meaning a person will invariably be exposed to bullying behaviors that are difficult to avoid. Third, cyberbullying can go viral. Unlike face-to-face incidents, messages or images used to harass or intimidate can be seen by exponentially greater numbers of people than would be possible with traditional bullying. By the same token, malicious content may linger in cyberspace for years, haunting the victim—as well as the bully.

The law has yet to evolve consistent methods of preventing or responding to cyberbullying because it is a complex issue. Unless the cyberbully used racial slurs or made overt threats, it is possible to claim the right to freedom of speech. Another issue relates to how the victim of cyberbullying reacts. Some students are remarkably resilient psychologically and socially and do not allow cyberbullying to affect them significantly. Yet a large number do not have robust emotional, social, or cognitive coping skills. Even when cyberbullying appears seemingly mild or harmless, it can leave long-term repercussions for a child's social life and even influence the ways parents and teachers perceive that child. Cyberbullying needs to be taken seriously and viewed as a signal that cultural norms of teenage socialization must change.

Definition of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying takes many forms but is fairly easy to define: it refers to deliberate attempts to harm a person using digital technology. Cyberbullying can include verbal abuse, threats, or damaging a person's reputation by spreading rumors or circulating graphic imagery and other multimedia. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognizes both relational aggression and verbal aggression. Relational aggression encompasses indirect acts, such as spreading rumors or sharing multimedia files that embarrass or shame. Verbal aggression is more direct: saying hateful or mean things to a person. Misinterpreting the tone of a message should not be considered cyberbullying—it may simply be proof that digital communication lacks features that convey emotion well, such as tone of voice or body language (Enough is Enough, n.d.). It is therefore important to distinguish between actual cyberbullying and simply poor netiquette.

Some definitions of cyberbullying limit it to children and adolescents. Hirsch (n.d.), for example, claims that by definition cyberbullying "occurs among young people," and that adult cyberbullying should be referred to as cyberstalking or cyber-harassment (p. 1). However, not all adult forms of cyberbullying can be classified as stalking or harassment; some are more akin to bullying in that the intent is to demonstrate or maintain social dominance by belittling, demeaning, insulting, or shaming another person.

Statistics and Prevalence of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is very common, affecting as many as 43% of all young people, with 1 in 4 reporting regular online bullying ("11 Facts About Cyberbullying," n.d.). Most research on cyberbullying focuses on the youth population, but an estimated one in every six adults experiences cyberbullying as well (Hirsch, n.d.). Most aggregate data indicate that at least one in every four children experiences cyberbullying (Hirsch, n.d.). The highest prevalence occurs in middle school, where almost one in every three students experiences it. A striking 70% of students admit to having witnessed cyberbullying ("11 Facts About Cyberbullying," n.d.).

Cyberbullying can occur across any digital domain, including texting and social media. The most common means of perpetrating cyberbullying is the smartphone ("11 Facts About Cyberbullying," n.d.). The smartphone makes it especially easy to commit cyberbullying because a young child with already poor impulse control can quickly compose negative messages, post on social media, or harass another student. Because children check their phones frequently, victims are exposed more often, compounding the harm. Critically, only one in ten children will report a cyberbullying incident to an adult ("11 Facts About Cyberbullying," n.d.). This widespread unwillingness to report makes it difficult both to estimate the true prevalence of cyberbullying and to prevent it.

Conclusion

Parents, teachers, and community organizations need to take cyberbullying more seriously. Although cyberbullying is typically discussed in terms of teenagers, it can also occur among adult populations. Therefore, workplaces should cultivate a culture of safety that prevents cyberbullying and responds to incidents promptly. Cyberbullying may reflect deeper cultural problems: an excessive tolerance for harmful patterns of adolescent socialization and a misunderstanding of the boundaries of freedom of speech. While it may be impossible to prevent all forms of cyberbullying, it is certainly possible to empower children, educate schools, and engage parents and peers in a multitude of strategies that reduce harm and build resilience.