You are on page 1of 7

Abstract of the study

The purpose of this study is to know more about Cyberbullying, the nature
and the history of it and most especially the legalities it has. Bullying has been
ingrained in the society since its founding. Bred from different economy and
competitive hierarchies, bullying has remained a relevant issue through the
years. Technological bullying, known today as cyberbullying, has allowed the
problem to expand, become more elusive and even harder to define.
Cyberbullying is the online harassment occurring mostly in children by
children. This harassment has continued to dominate the society that it affected
almost all ages that are using the cyber technology. While most cyberbullying
instances happen at home, the repercussions of these acts of aggressions are
often brought to the school campus. This new trend has left school systems
unsure of the proper response to handling student needs while balancing legal
and ethical responsibilities.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
History of Bullying
Bullying has been a critical issue in schools for decades. Looking back at
the !
th
century peer"on"peer harassment was #ust as commonly seen as it is
today. $f course, during that time bullying was newly recogni%ed and little
understood .What may be seen as violent behavior today might not have been in
that time. While bullying in schools remains a critical issue, throughout the years
several events and studies have taken place that have made a significant impact
of bullying and have expanded its meaning in many ways.
The term bullying has changed drastically over time. &n the !th and 'th
centuries bullying was mainly viewed as physical or verbal harassment
commonly linked with, ()death, strong isolation or extortion in school children)*
+,oo, -../0. 1ny type of aggressive behavior was simply seen as mischief and a
normal part of childhood. &n fact, according to ,oo +-../0, bullying was thought of
as an innocent (misadventure* or (misbehavior* among schoolboys +p.0. This
type of bullying was clearly observed at ,ing2s Boarding 3chool in the 4., when
a twelve"year old boy was killed from bullying behaviors by his older classmates
+,oo, -../, p.0. The schoolboys involved were not held accountable for his
death because the school viewed the behavior as a normal misadventure among
the teens +,oo, -../0. &t may be fair to say that this situation would be viewed
much different today and that the bullying behaviors then were viewed as a
normal part of growing up among children.
The term bullying was not publicly recogni%ed until a well known
newspaper made a publication of this behavior. &n !5-, after almost seventy"two
years of publications the daily newspaper, The Times wrote their first story on
bullying when they reported a soldier allegedly died due to bullying +,oo, -../,
p.'0. The Times were the first to voice the critical issues of bullying and the
ma#or conse6uences that can follow +,oo, -../0. The writer especially
highlighted how the soldier underwent (systematic bullying* in the army and was
treated as an, ()ob#ect of constant vexations and attack* +7oo, -../, p.0.
This story may have been shocking to many people because society then did not
view the behaviors that caused this death to be harmful. &n that time bullying was
accepted by many as normal behavior. 8owever, as bullying became more
prevalent, it began to draw more attention from researchers who wanted to know
more about this new phenomenon.
Today, bullying is viewed much differently than it was in the !..2s. &t took
many years for the term to be identified for the serious problems it presents. The
advancement of technology has given ground for bullying to evolve. With the help
of such, bullying has encroached itself into the cyber world and epidemically
spread. This is when cyberbullying was born.
Bullying today or best known as cyberbullying is #ust a click away since the
harassment can now be done through emails, messages and social networking
sites. &t is on rise due to the fact that in cyberbullying the bully is allowed to avoid
in facing their victims, they can #ust create fake profiles to conceal their identity, it
also re6uires them less courage since their personal appearance is not re6uired
and it provides them the illusion that they won2t get caught. With this,
cyberbullying began to concern almost anyone who uses the available
technologies because anyone can be a victim of this crime.
hat is Cyberbullying!
9oung people are using the &nternet more than ever and most have
&nternet access from home. :or many children, the &nternet isn;t simply a
convenient way to research or a fun afterschool activity " it;s a big part of their
social life. <mailing and chatting with friends are children;s most common online
activities, after studying and playing games. But like many other social situations,
some kids bully other kids online.
Cyberbullying is similar to other types of bullying, except it takes place in
electronic technology. <lectronic technology includes devices and e6uipment
such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools
including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.
Cyber bullying is the use of information technology to harm or harass
other people in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. 1ccording to 4.3.
Legal =efinitions, Cyber"bullying could be limited to posting rumors or gossips
about a person in the internet bringing about hatred in other2s minds> or it may go
to the extent of personally identifying victims and publishing materials severely
defaming and humiliating them.
Difference bet"een bullying and cyberbullying!
Bullying is often described as being an aggressive, intentional act or
behavior that is carried out by a group or an individual repeatedly and over time
against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself +Whitney ? 3mith, ''@>
$lweus, '''0. Bullying is a form of abuse that is based on an imbalance of
power> it can be defined as a systematic imbalance of power +3mith ? 3harp,
''A> Bigby -..-0. 4sing these definitions for bullying, we can extend them to
define cyberbullying. Cyberbullying therefore can be defined as an aggressive,
intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of
contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him
of herself.
Cyberbullying is different from traditional bullying because people can use
the disguise of (anonymity* to harass their victims. $ne needs only a valid e"mail
address to create or participate in groups online, so it is very easy set up (fake*
accounts and bully anonymously. Because anonymous comments and actions
aren2t connected to the individuals doing the bullying, bullies on the internet can
now hide behind their computer screens and false identities> something that
traditional playground bullies never could do. Cow, victims of bullying through
technology may not even know their attacker and many times, a victim of
cyberbullying may have many attackers all using a similar technology resulting in
a new gang"bullying that can grow to astronomical si%e very 6uickly. (Bullies and
mean girls have been around forever, but technology has given them a whole
new platform for their actions.* +kidshealth.org0
Traditional bullying has always had an effect on the victim " maybe
physical, socially, and most definitely emotionally. With any luck, this traditional
bullying may only last during certain years of a child;s or teen;s school life, or is
able to be eliminated by a change in the location of their family. With
cyberbullying, the results of bullying can be incredibly long lasting +mostly
permanent when online0, and has been shown to have traumatic effects on
victims including serious psychological damage including anxiety, depression,
and other serious stress and emotional related disorders. &n some cases, with
more seen with every passing year, there are more and more cases of
cyberbullying leading to youth and young adult suicide.
Thesis #tate$ent
Bullying in its various forms is one of the new emerging problems that
many children and teenagers have to face daily at school or while practicing
extracurricular activities away from their parents2 view and protection. &t is
becoming an increasingly important problem for parents, school administrators
and teachers, and it affects our society at large.
Bullying is not only physical, but it can also disrupt a person2s emotional
life through mobbing and cyberbullying which is its worst form. &n fact,
cyberbullying is a terrible weapon that can destroy someone2s reputation and life
for good in no time. That is why cyberbullying may have serious implications,
even legal ones, for those who practice it.
This paper will present facts about bullying and its effect on persons, and
will provide some possible solutions and legal actions to the problem.
I$%ortance of the study
1lthough bullying has been around for decades, the issue of cyberbullying
is still very new to the legal world. 1s a result, there are few cyberbullying cases
that has been tried and also in the field research studies. While technology gave
birth to the popular social networking sites, the popularity of such increased the
capabilities of cyberbullying. <ven though a dramatic spike in cyberbullying
awareness has been seen, educators, policy makers and scholars have yet to
determine the most appropriate means of resolving this phenomenon +Belsey
-..50.
This study is significant because it aims to provide schools and
policy makers with information on how to proactively create policies that
decrease the prevalence and negative effects of cyberbullying.
CHAPTER &
BAC'(ROUND O) THE RE#EARCH
Re*ie" of related literature
This chapter includes a discussion of the prevalence and seriousness of
cyberbullying, followed by the different kinds of cyberbullying. &n addition, this
review of the literature provides an in"depth look at what research on
cyberbullying currently exists, its effect on the lives of the affected victims, and
will serve as a foundation in identifying areas in need of further research and
legal actions so that schools, communities and policy makers are able to
proactively work with anyone affected by this phenomenon and also to reduce
the negative effects felt by victims.

You might also like