Research Paper About Cyberbullying: A Proofread Example
At one time, students' fear of bullying existed only during school hours. They could return home after school and not worry about these hardships until the following day. Because of the technology that exists today, however, children as young as 13 can legally have their own social media accounts. While this helps them stay in contact with friends and can even be helpful when students need help with assignments, social media also leaves some students a target for cyberbullying, which at times can be worse than bullying at school.
Rumors on social media spread like wildfire. Within an instant, every person that a student knows can receive harmful information, often distributed with the intent of ruining a person's reputation or making others dislike them. Social media threads and online forums are another issue, as all people with access can speak freely where everyone can see it. This too, is incredibly harmful. Word is sure to get back to the student that is being discussed, causing problems that affect the student at school and at home. It usually only takes one student to start this rumor and turn dozens of students against that one, making cyberbullying very isolating for the student involved.
Bullies that use the Internet to get their message across may also target a student for who they are or something they have done. A gay student, for example, may be tormented by classmates. A girl who really liked a guy and shared photos with him may have these personal photos passed around social media. Fake profiles are another major issue, since this gives bullies anonymity and allows them to torment without any real repercussions. All these tactics are incredibly harmful, often taking a student that is already vulnerable and targeting their insecurities or indiscretions. This damages the student's reputation, their love for themselves, and can even ruin their friendships.
Some people say that students who are cyberbullied have the option of unplugging, but for many this is not true. Students being bullied are curious about what others are saying and about what rumors they must face. Sadly, the fact that students have trouble unplugging can cause isolation, depression, and even a heightened risk of suicide. There are many cases of teen suicide in the past few years that resulted specifically from cyberbullying. The students who have committed suicide have left behind heartbroken friends and family members, but to them it was their only chance of escape.
While both bullying and cyberbullying are major issues for youth today, cyberbullying comes with a whole new set of issues. To keep children safe, parents and schools must be aware of the signs of cyberbullying. It is also important that students are taught how to stay safe on social media and the Internet, including how to report and/or block people and why they should not accept anonymous friend requests or talk to people they do not know. By taking these precautions, parents and school can foster communication with students and help show that they have allies in this cyberbullying epidemic.
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