Laura BurkeWith the growth of technology, we have seen a new form of bullying introduced into the world. Traditional bullying is no longer just in-person, face to face interactions. Now we are seeing these attacks being performed using technology. The impact of cyberbullying can have a significant effect on the lives of young people. Parents need to know that any type of bullying can have a substantial impact on kids’ lives.
What Is Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is referred to as the use of electronic communication to bully another person. This takes place on cell phones, text messages, computers, social media, and using any other technology you can think of. Online bullying is becoming more common with the increased use of technology. Cyberbullying includes sending, sharing, or posting harmful or false information about another person. Bullying can lead to many negative thoughts, and the effects can impact a person significantly.
Effects Of Cyberbullying
Victims of cyberbullying will often feel unsafe and not know who to contact. The effects of cyberbullying can change the person entirely if not addressed. It is crucial to catch cyberbullying in the early stages to make sure nothing tragic results from it. Any kind of bullying should be taken extremely seriously and should be adequately addressed to make sure the victim feels safe.
– Feeling Overwhelmed
Being targeted by cyberbullies can often lead to feeling like everyone is out to get you, especially when several bullies are participating. The stress of dealing with a cyberbully can cause the victim to feel like it is more than they can handle.
– Feeling Humiliated
Because this type of bullying occurs online, it can seem like bullying is permanent. Kids know that once something is posted on the internet, it is there forever and cannot be removed. With the power of social media, these humiliating posts, messages, photos, or whatever form of bullying is occurring can be shared with people everywhere. With the private information exposed to the online world, it can lead to an intense feeling of humiliation.
– Feeling Powerless
This occurs because the bully can invade their victim’s home through the internet. It can sometimes feel as if you can never escape the bullying. The victim may feel like the bullying is occurring everywhere, and that they have no control over it. .
– Suicidal Thoughts
Cyber bullying can result in destructive, suicidal thoughts. Kids that are continually experiencing bullying over social media, text messages, and other outlets begin to feel hopeless. They begin to think the only way to escape the bullying is through suicide. As a result, they may fantasize about ending their life to escape the vicious cycle of bullying.
– Feeling Anxious or Depressed
This often occurs because the bully deteriorates the victim’s self-consciousness or self-esteem. The feeling of always having to deal with the bullying erodes the overall victim’s happiness and leaves them with constant negativity. With nothing but negative thoughts, it can lead to severe depression or leave them on edge, waiting for the next attack to occur.
What Can Be Done
Bullying is hard to end, and sometimes it will be hard to tell if someone is a victim of these bullying attacks. Do not ignore or dismiss these feelings; be sure to communicate with someone about what is going on. You want to keep a tab on changes in mood or behavior of your child. This can be a crucial indicator of the effects of bullying. Many parents have turned to monitor apps like Auto Forward to help monitor the use of technology and catch bullying in the early stages. Do not let bullying control your child’s life. You may want to seek professional help to help resolve the cyberbullying.