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Posted by Barbara Pytel Aug 24, 2007 |
Reasons
According to the Pew study, about one-third of teenagers are likely to be bullied on the internet. What makes a student a target? The more time spent on the internet--the more likely to be harassed. [Erin Joyce, internetnews.com, June 27, 2007]
- Too smart
- Too pretty
- Too tall
- Overweight
- Non-athletic
- Hot-headed
- Bad complexion
- Dating someone's boyfriend/girlfriend
- Just plain "uncool" as determined by an insecure, select group
- Different hairstyle or clothes than the norm
Forms of Harassment
- Banishment--banned from all social activities
- Silent Treatment--no one speaks to you in school or after school
- Hate Site--others are instructed to send you hate mail and you get hundreds of hate emails from total strangers
- Rumors circulated--true or untrue
- Embarrassing pictures--a cell phone picture of you in the bathroom ends up on the internet
- You are told you don't deserve to live and instructed to kill yourself.
Girls are more likely to be targets and girls may be more likely to do the harassing but evidence has not proven that. Plenty has been written about girls and their cruelty to each other. And, we know that bullies are likely to experience sleep difficulties. Cyber-bullying is not a problem only in the U.S.. Other nations are experiencing harassment via internet, as well. It is an international problem.
More: Police Monitor Websites, MySpace Is Still Dangerous, Bully Victim Gets $1 Million
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.