Mario Henry

ISE 300
Literature Review
Cyber Bullying
Title: Bullying among Teens in the Modern Era

People tend to have arguments and disagreements which is which sometimes occur
between friends and these can be resolved easily but bullying is a totally different matter. Bullies
tend to be people with more power and they use this to make another feel like they are less of a
person. As things evolved so has bullying, which is now aided by technology, and is now known
as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can have adverse effects on people and in retaliation people are
taking methods to bring about cyberbullying awareness and in turn prevent the phenomenon.
Research also been done on the matter and amounted in the form of statistical data, case studies
on different events, inclusion in laws, etc.
Cyberbullying came into existence because of the inappropriate use of online resources to
communicate and socialize in a negative fashion. The fact that cyberbullies can do so
anonymously is the reason why they do so at such an alarming rate. Cyberbullying can happen at
any moment within the 24 hours of a day. Cyberbullying is bullying through an electronic
device, such as a cell phone, computer, tablet, etc. ("What Is Cyberbullying.", Aspa). Bill Belsey,
president of Bullying.org, stated that "Cyberbullying involves the use of information and
communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an
individual or group, which is intended to harm others." ("Cyberbullying.") Teenagers are

In the United States cyberbullying among teens has become an ever growing concern and
it has become harder to monitor since 92% of teens go online daily (Lenhart, "Teens, Social
Media & Technology Overview 2015."). 91% of teens access the internet through mobile devices
and these mobile devices are primarily with teens most of the day. Lenhart, "Teens, Social Media
& Technology Overview 2015.") Teens are very active on social networks and tend to do most of
their bullying there. Social media allows for the posting of current statuses with up to 200
characters, pictures and videos. Some of these social media sites include Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, Twitter, amongst others. The usage of these sites by teens are Facebook 71%,
Instagram 52%, Snapchat 41%, and Twitter 33%. (Lenhart, "Teens, Social Media & Technology
Overview 2015.") Most people on these sites are posting their daily encounters but some are
being malicious and are bullying others.
A large portion of cyberbullying happens amongst teens who frequent social sites. Almost
43% of kids have been bullied online and 1 in every 4 said it has happened twice ("11 Facts
About Cyber Bullying."). Cyberbullying happens once a week in 19% of middle schools and 18
percent of high schools ("Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2015."). Cyberbullying comes
in many different forms and can push people to respond negatively. Teens that are bullied tend to
respond negatively by skipping school, alcohol and drug use, experience lower grades, lowered
self-esteem, or experience health issues ("What Is Cyberbullying.", Aspa). The Aspa stated that
7% of those between grades 6-12 have reported being cyberbullied in the 2013-2014 school year.
As we have discussed before teens are always online and tend to cyberbully. The most
common online places for cyberbullying are texts, social media sites, chats, blogs, YouTube
comments section, etc. Some examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails,
rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos,

websites, or fake profiles ("What Is Cyberbullying.", Aspa). Aspa states, Deleting inappropriate
or harassing messages, texts, and pictures is extremely difficult after they have been posted or
sent ("What Is Cyberbullying.", Aspa). This is stated to emphasize that once something is
posted online it will permanently remain there unless deleted by the original poster.
Cyberbullying has become a very prevalent issue and even required that the local
governments to step in and create laws to punish those that cyberbully. These penalties differ by
states and by New York state law cyberbullying is countered by criminal sanction, active school
sanctions, active school policy and off-campus ("Bullying and Cyberbullying Laws Across
America."). The school policy for on and off campus incidents allows the school, where a
teenager that suffered from cyberbullying attends, to have written policies against cyberbullying.
The school once notified can take action through the school sanctions. There are also criminal
level punishment for cyberbullying which is determined by the severity of the cyberbullying
("Bullying and Cyberbullying Laws Across America."). In terms of severity this depends on how
harshly that teen was bullied and the effects it had on them.
The laws against cyberbullying has both supporters and critics. The critics of
cyberbullying laws believe that it is too vague and that cyberbullying should be punished by the
law when it causes harm or if someone threatens to harm another person. Susan P. Limber, a
Clemson University psychology professor, and many others believe that cyberbullying should be
handled informally by the parents and school officials and not to be left to the law
("Cyberbullying Laws."). The supporters of laws against bullying believe that all bullies should
be held accountable for their actions. In 2010, a poll showed that 69% of those surveyed believe
that harassment through the internet should be a punishable crime ("Cyberbullying Laws."). The
strongest supporters of these laws are the family and friends of the people that have suffered

from cyberbullying and caused them to commit self-harm or suicide because of the
cyberbullying,
Once a teen has been bullied online, the correct response to cyberbullying can vary. If the
teen is made to feel uncomfortable then it is their right to report the bullying. Most websites and
communication mediums allow for users to block other users, or report abusive behavior, which
is an effective method of stopping cyberbullies from making contact. Hinduja suggests that
evidence of cyberbullying should always be saved and turned over to the right officials (Hinduja,
"Responding to Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens."). Cyberbullying can be reported to the
content provider, school officials, or the police. If cyberbullying materials such as embarrassing
videos or photos are shared with a student then the student should stop the sharing of this
material and be a part of the solution and not the problem (Hinduja, "Responding to
Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens."). Cyberbullying amongst teens ends when they are
educated about the adverse effects it may have on their peers and when they make a conscience
effort to stop any form of bullying they may encounter.

Works Cited

Aspa. "What Is Cyberbullying." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

<https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/index.html>.

"Cyberbullying." Facts and Legal Issues, Risk Factors and Resources to Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 18
Oct. 2016. <http://www.ohio.edu/people/mk931908/finalproject.html>.

"11 Facts About Cyber Bullying." DoSomething.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
<https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying>.

"Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2015." (2016): n. pag. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
<https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/iscs15.pdf>.

"Bullying and Cyberbullying Laws Across America." Cyberbullying Research Center. N.p., n.d.
Web. 18 Oct. 2016. <http://cyberbullying.org/bullying-laws>.

Hinduja, Sameer. "Responding to Cyberbullying: Top Ten Tips for Teens." Cyberbullying
Research Center. N.p., 31 Dec. 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2016. <http://cyberbullying.org/respondingto-cyberbullying-top-ten-tips-for-teens>.

"Cyberbullying Laws." Cyberbullying Laws. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.

<http://www.ohio.edu/people/mk931908/cyberbullyinglaws.html>.

Lenhart, Amanda. "Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015." Pew Research Center
Internet Science Tech RSS. N.p., 09 Apr. 2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.
<http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/>.