Category: Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is a kind of bullying that is done through many places through which you are connected to the social world. It is done by the means of SMS, Online app, and by social media. Cyber bully is done by sharing, posting false content about someone who they want to bully. It can also include the sharing of personal information about a particular person causing them to be humiliated or to get embarrassed in front of everyone. Most teenagers are the targets of these criminals. Cyber bullying makes the child sad and sometimes even angry. A 2012 study from the University of Nottingham and the University of Sheffield found that eight out of ten of the 320 adults surveyed across three different universities had been victims of cyberbullying in the last six months. About a quarter reported feeling humiliated, ignored, or being the subject of online gossip at least once a week.

The place where cyber bullying can occur:

• Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, etc;
• Сan occur through SMS;
• Through emails.

What is social media surveillance?

Social media surveillance is also known as social media monitoring. It is used to track, monitor gather, or mine particular data about a particular person. It is done by particular companies or other organizations to know about their user’s opinions. This surveillance occurs in social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, YouTube, etc. The companies who provide these data create profiles to provide advertisements to the targeted users. Social media surveillance is very helpful for businessmen to grow up their businesses. For example, an app called the “TRUE CALLER “aims is to identify phone numbers by which the users are able to filter out calls, even if the number was even once called on your phone. The app uses your information through your phone and shows you details on the receiver’s phone. This all happens with the help of social media surveillance.

Causes

There are many causes of social media surveillance but the main cause of social media surveillance is to know what does a specific person thinks. It is used to monitor the people and try to grab attention towards the brands or to a specific product. Social media monitoring/social medial surveillance is also dome to divert one attention towards the competition. Not only it is used by the businessmen it is also been used by the government to keep an eye on the criminal or on those people who are suspected to be a criminal. They use it to keep an eye on them and get to know about what they are been doing on social media or to see what criminal acts are they doing on it. By doing this government are able to do many things. Even due to social media surveillance the business market has reached higher. According to research that “At least 40 of the 65 countries covered by this report have instituted advanced social media monitoring programs.” For example, in the United States, agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—have used automated technology to collect and analyze personal information, with limited oversight and transparency.

Consequences

There are a lot of consequences of social media surveillance. This could help the new businessman to get knowledge about their customers what they like and what they don’t and grab their attention towards their products. The governmental consequence would be that they could catch the criminals of the social media, and try to stop the social media crime like cyber bullying, hacking, and fraud. Social media surveillance can also affect your privacy because you usually post your pictures or some information on social media by the help of social media surveillance companies can leak your data to get information about you. But if this information is in the right hand till then it is ok but if this information gets a leak and get into the wrong hands then it could have many severe consequences in which the most common consequence is cyber bullying and these crimes have their own severe consequences like making a person mentally ill and if it continues so on then it can also make the person to commit suicide or something even more dangerous than no one can think. According to research that “ Children and young people under 25 who are victims of cyberbullying are more than twice as likely to self-harm and enact suicidal behavior, according to a new study.

Course of action

As discussed above, with the help of social media surveillance the government can help us in the reduction of cyber bullying. But it is not only the government’s responsibility to help us out but it is also our responsibility to help ourselves. We can help ourselves by not posting any of your personal or private data or information on social media as these criminals are always there to take advantage of it. Government should only allow trusted and reliable people to survey the accounts of people. Businesses man’s allowances to survey the account should be restricted to the extent that they cannot be able to see all of their information that the users do won’t make the others see. There should and are a high amount of fines on the people who are caught on the basis of cyber bullying and should also be giving a big punishment. The centerpiece of this legislation is the establishment of a Children’s e-Safety Commissioner who will have power to require large social networking sites to take down cyberbullying material or incur significant fines of up to $17,000 a day. Make more organizations that can easily survey and lessen the social media crime rate. Complaints to police about alleged crimes linked to the use of Facebook and Twitter have increased by 780% in four years, resulting in about 650 people being charged last year. But if the government gives their best and the people would support them then these numbers could end up at zero and social media surveillance would help them for sure.

Harassment is the demonstration of sending hostile, discourteous, and offending messages and being abusive. Terrible or embarrassing remarks on posts, photographs, and in visit rooms also fall within the ambit of harassment. It implies being expressly hostile to gaming destinations. As for adults, the “Pew Research Center reported in 2014 that 40 percent of adult Internet users said they had personally experienced online harassment while 73 percent witnessed it occurring to others”. The Cyber bullying Research Center says” that about 25 percent of middle and high school students have reported being cyber bullied at some point in their lives, with about 9 percent saying they have been cyber bullied within the 30 days” preceding the survey.

The second type is online defamation. It is an act where somebody may send data about someone else that is harming and false or share photographs of somebody for the reason to deride and spread counterfeit bits of gossip and tattle. This can be on any website on the web or on applications. We even find out about individuals adjusting photographs of others and posting these online for simply mischief and menace. For example, showbiz personalities are trolled for their personal issues, health, and appearance and deliberately presented in such a wrong way which affects their image. It was reported that a Star Wars fanatic made a home movie that he wanted to keep private since he made it for fun but eventually, some boys got their hands on it and soon the video went viral. The boy was embarrassed as his private video was being shown all over the world. The boy got so disturbed that he had to change his school and he had taken under the care of psychiatrists.

The third type is Cyberstalking, which is the point at which somebody will hack into somebody’s email or social networking account and utilize the individual’s online character to send or post awful or humiliating material to/about others. The creation of fake profiles on informal organization destinations, applications, and online is a normal occurrence and it very well may be extremely hard to get them to shut down. Cyber stalking is far increasingly dangerous as it includes evil goals, ranging from false allegations and criticism to sexual harassment and in any event, urging others to hassle the person in question. Most of the time, physical and digital stalking interconnect, making it significantly all the more dangerous.

Moreover, trolling is the point at which a bully will search out to deliberately agitate others by posting remarks on the web just in order to embarrass someone. Trolling may not generally be a type of cyber bullying; however, it very well may be utilized as a device to cyber bully when done with pernicious and unsafe aims. These harassers will in general be progressively disengaged from their unfortunate casualties, and don’t have an individual relationship. Due to online trolling, thousands of people mostly teenagers attempt suicide. For example, a 16-year old girl committed suicide when people trolled her online and imposed questions like, “Can you kill yourself already?” which led her to depression and eventually took her own life.

Exclusion is the fifth type of cyber bullying. It is the demonstration of forgetting about somebody intentionally. Exclusion exists with in-person bullying situations, but on the other hand, is utilized online to target and menace an injured individual. For instance, a person may not be invited to gatherings and deliberately excluded while they see different companions being incorporated, or left out of message strings or discussions that include common companions. Social rejection happens in a roundabout way sending a hurtful message to the objective kid that they are excluded in social exercises without the requirement for verbal belittling. As it is notable, youngsters and adolescents are formatively focused on being perceived in a positive light by their companions; the way toward assigning who is an individual from the friend gathering and who is excluded can be devastating to the objective kid.

Lastly, Impersonation or ‘imping’ as a strategy in cyber bullying can just happen with the ‘veil of anonymity offered by Information and Communications Technology. Cyber bullies mimic the objective youngster and make disagreeable online remarks on long-range informal communication locales, discussions, message sheets, and in talk rooms. Utilizing pantomime, cyber bullies likewise set up sites that incorporate poisonous data prompting the objective kid to be alienated or misled in progressively great harassing ways. Frequently, the objective kid is ignorant of these occasions until the strategy has been structured and actualized. For example, they may post provocative messages in a detest gathering’s talk room or on their internet-based life webpage, welcoming an assault against the person in question, frequently giving the name, address, and phone number of the unfortunate casualty to make the hate group’s activity easier.

Quoting a real story published by BBC News, a mother said “he was a happy lad, not depressed and the last type of person you would think would take their life”. She said that they were a very close family and she just wished he had come to me and said something. These were the expressions of the mother of 17-year-old Daniel Perry, who ended his very own life after he was clearly extorted in the wake of becoming friends with somebody he thought was a young lady of his age on the web. In reality, he was in contact with an extortion gang. The family was told on 15 July to deposit thousands of pounds into an account or images or videos of their son would be shared with his family and friends or the public. Hours later, he was dead. His mother said in an interview to the Dunfermline press that her son was too terrified to talk to someone about this issue. [image: ]

To help someone who is going through cyber bullying, we have to look out for the signs. The effects that can result from digital tormenting incorporates low self-esteem, withdrawal from family and investing a great deal of energy alone, reluctance to let guardians or other relatives anyplace close to their mobiles, PCs, etc., finding reasons to avoid school or work including school refusal, friends vanishing or being prohibited from social events, losing weight or changing appearance to attempt to fit in, fresh checks on the skin that could show self-damage and dress diversely, for example, wearing long-sleeved garments in the mid-year to conceal any imprints and an adjustment in character for example outrage, sorrow, crying, and indifference to things around them.

Cyber bullying is a great matter which is not addressed properly to spread awareness. One should know how is cyber bullying done and what are its effects as well as they should consider how to eradicate it from their society. For example, in an event when you see somebody being irritated or harassed on the web, unquestionably don’t heap on, yet consider ways that you can be strong to that individual. Monica Lewinsky, who was broadly annoyed after her much-announced association with President Bill Clinton, just joined forces with Vodaphone on another #Be Strong Emoji console application for iOS that gives clients a chance to express compassion to others through steady little illustrations, called emoticons, that express help for those being tormented or badgering. It is very important to choose kindness and stop bullying so it is up to you if you want to make a difference or not?

Social media bullying is a common and growing phenomenon. The actual incidence of cyberbullying is unknown as many cyberbullying victims do not appear for help. Cyberbullying is an act that threatens, embarrasses, or intimidates a person

Cyberbullying is a very common and growing phenomenon. The actual incidence of cyberbullying is unknown as many cyberbullying victims do not appear for help. Cyberbullying is an act that threatens, embarrasses, or intimidates a person through electronic means such as text messages, chatting, email, social website, cell phone, Internet games.

Cyberbullying is more dangerous than bullying, cyberbullying has its own characteristics. Cyberbullying is difficult to identify because it can conceal their true identity. Cyberbullying is not like another bullying as it happens in a borderless cyber world. This makes it difficult for victims to protect themselves. Cyberbullying is easier to deal with than other types of bullying because of the limited number of individuals involved in the cyber world. Cyberbullying can last forever, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Bullying is rampant. This situation causes the community to become more and more upset. Describe the causes and steps that have been triggered.

According to the study, bullying cases are increasing every year among students and the problem is getting worse. ‘If it wasn’t for the wind cooking the trees would shake’. Therefore, every problem that has to do with it has its reasons. There are several causes that have been identified as contributors to this bullying case.

Among them is the lack of appreciation of religious values ​​available to students who are willing to engage in bullying cases. They are willing to do so only to gain the attention of others and to show their strength to others. In short, they are losing the value of humanity in themselves.

In addition, parents who are less likely to give love and care to their children are among the reasons for this bullying. Parents who are always busy making money and being materialistic have given up on their children.

In addition, students who are at least one year old and bloody are easily influenced by the actions of their peers. If his or her friends are bullying, the student will also follow the behavior of his or her friends to be accepted by their group members. Loose supervision in schools is also the reason for giving students the opportunity to practice bullying against other students.

The saying goes there is no disease without cure’.There are a number of drastic steps that can be taken to curb and combat this crisis. Among them are the government like the Ministry of Education and the school should emphasize the issue of bullying in school education through specific subjects such as Moral Education, Islamic Education, Civic Education, and so on. As such, students will be aware that bullying is a crime and students will also be exposed to various information about the adverse effects of bullying and ways to prevent it from being involved in bullying cases.

In addition, lectures or campaigns such as anti-bullying campaigns can also be held on a regular basis in each school from time to time to help students stay away from bullying symptoms. Activities such as quizzes on bullying cases can also be implemented as an initiative in addressing these bullying cases.

However, the school must also ensure that surveillance at every corner of the school such as the back of the school building and quiet school corridor is tightened so as not to provide opportunities for those who wish to bully their victims. Schools can also encourage students to actively participate in the Crime Prevention Club at the school. This is because students will gain more knowledge on ways to prevent bullying cases if they become predators in the case and students can also share the information obtained with their peers so that all students know about it.

Another step is that students should also be good at choosing friends because students will also be more likely to be influenced by their peers. For example, if a friend is interested in reading a book, then the student will also be influenced and read together. The same is true if the student’s friend is involved in bullying at school. In addition, students should work with the school in order to contain these symptoms. Students who are exposed to bullying or who are victims of bullying should be encouraged to report to the school immediately so that the problem can be resolved as soon as possible for the sake of the school’s well-being.

Meanwhile, schools that have received complaints from students should also work hard to resolve the issue rather than cover up the case at will. If this case is still not being discussed, the problem of bullying will only get worse and worse. The school may meet with the student suspected of being involved in bullying cases as well as his or her parents to discuss the problem the student is facing and to find a way out. The school should impose the appropriate punishment on the student so that he will not repeat the act and also serve as an example to the other students.

Internet bullying, more commonly referred to as cyberbullying represents the use of the internet or mobile device to intimidate, harass, or inflict harm to others. Although bullying has been common in society, it has in recent times moved from learning institutions to social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, emails as well as mobile text messages. Cyberbullying has harmful consequences on the victims. Some of these consequences range from psychological suffering alongside suicidal attempts and ideations. It is important to note that cyberbullying presents unique features and challenges for individuals that would want to pursue legal action. However, several states have recently responded to the increase in cyberbullying cases and established laws around cyberbullying or electronic harassment.

Facts about Cyberbullying

Despite the absence of audible insults or physical contact, cyberbullying can as traumatizing as other forms of traditional bullying. A study by Brochado, Soares & Fraga (2017) reports that approximately 75% of cyberbullying occurs through insults from the cyber-bully while the other form of bullying involves exclusion from the online community. Victims of cyberbullying report that the bullying involves unlawful or illegal access of personal information such as fraudulent use of email addresses, online trespass, and unlawful access to personal accounts.

There were no specific cyberbullying laws until the mid-2000s. However, this does not imply that legislators have not been following keenly the increasing trend of cyberbullying incidents which at times result in tragic incidents of school shootings and suicide. Despite the evidence that is often presented in courts about the effects of cyberbullying, legislators at both the federal and state have not found effective ways of addressing cyberbullying. The main challenge behind cyberbullying is the fact that the United States has for a long time been molded by the right of the public to express their opinions freely. Controlling cyberbullying is therefore perceived as an infringement of the 1st amendment. United States’ 1st Amendment prohibits the government from making laws that control the establishment of a religion, control freedom of speech, freedom of the press as well as the right to petition the government and other public bodies for a redress of grievances (Post, 2017). Therefore, when cyberbullying cases are presented to courts, the plaintiff’s side bases their argument on the court’s attempt to limit the rights that are provided in the 1st Amendment. This then throws judges into prolonged court sessions trying to define what cyberbullying is and identifying the proper sanctions for individuals that propagate cyberbullying acts. It is for this reason that most cases that involved freedom of speech such as cyberbullying found their way up to the U.S Supreme Court. The other issue about cyberbullying is that although laws are in place to guide the course of action in cases involving cyberbullying, the enforcement part of these laws is left in the hands of school administrations. More importantly, cyberbullying cases are most of the time treated as civil cases and not criminal in nature as they should be.

Cyberbullying Laws

The recent increase in cyberbullying cases has led to the establishment of several laws by states across the United States. Prosecutors often refer to existing laws to prosecute persons that are suspected to have engaged in cyberbullying acts. More importantly, criminal harassment statutes have been used as a basis for delivering rulings in severe cases especially in instances that result in suicide or other tragic incidents. States across the U.S have also established cyber harassment statutes which provide guidelines for charging internet bullies in certain states (Hinduja, n.d). The guidelines are driven towards establishing policies against bullying both in school and off-school environments.

The other law that captures cyberbullying and provides directions on what should be done is the Safe Place to Learn Act which was enacted in California (California Legislative Information, n.d). This act describes internet bullying as harassment especially in learning institutions but also goes further and includes communication by electronic act as another avenue for propagating bullying. Besides citing that students have the right to attend schools that are safe and peaceful, the Act also describes the use of electronic media to intimidate others as a misdemeanor that is punishable either by a fine of up to $1, 000 or a jail term of one year (California Legislative Information, n.d).

The other law that has offered insight into internet bullying is the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act which was adopted by the state of Florida. This law forbids bullying of K-12 students. It specifically addresses the concern of internet bullying which it describes as harassment or intimidation done through technology or electronic communication). The law does not have any criminal sanctions on individuals that have been charged for bullying but dictate that school administrations should draft policies on cyber bullying and amiably report the instances.

Lastly, Missouri is another state that has actively been involved in managing cases of internet bullying. According to the Missouri Statute, bullying represents any form of intimidation or harassment that is done either through sound, image, message, or electronic devices (FindLaw, n.d). In Missouri, individuals who are found guilty of bullying others through social media through violent threats are charged with harassment which is categorized as a class A misdemeanor. However, the crime becomes a class D felony if the defendant is 21 years old or older and the victim is 17 years old or younger.

Penalties for Internet Bullying

The penalties differ depending on the state where the internet bullying was committed. Often cyberbullying laws may result in civil penalties such as suspension or expulsion by school administration or serving a jail term for certain misdemeanors or felonies. The main difference of cyberbullying laws involves criminal vs. administrative sanctions for violations. A good example is Florida where the law does not have criminal charges against internet bullying but directs school boards to come up with administrative penalties such as expulsion or suspension against individuals that have been convicted with internet bullying. This is different in other states such as Missouri where offenders can be charged for violent threats that are expressed through social media platforms and other electronic devices.

Conclusion

Internet bullying is a subject that is rapidly evolving in law. The impact of internet bullying has far-reaching ramifications such as causing mental distress, loss of self-esteem, developing suicidal ideations, and suicidal attempts. Cases dealing with cyberbullying have been difficult to handle as prosecutors always argue that it is against the 1st Amendment that offers citizens the right to free speech. However, in recent times different states such as Florida, Missouri, and California have stood against cyberbullying acts by establishing laws that offer the course of action against cyberbullying.

References:

1. Brochado, S., Soares, S., & Fraga, S. (2017). A scoping review on studies of cyberbullying prevalence among adolescents. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 18(5), 523-531;
2. California Legislative Information (n.d). School safety: Safe Place to Learn Act. Retrieved from; https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB2845[Accessed 8/12/2019];
3. FindLaw (n.d). Missouri Revised Statutes Title XI. Education and Libraries § 160.775. Antibullying policy required–definition–requirements—cyberbullying. Retrieved from; https://codes.findlaw.com/mo/title-xi-education-and-libraries/mo-rev-st-160-775.html [Accessed 8/12/2019];
4. Florida department of education (fdoe) (n.d). Bullying Prevention. Retrieved from; http://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/bullying-prevention.stml[Accessed 8/12/2019];
5. Hinduja. S (n.d). State Bullying Laws. Retrieved from https://cyberbullying.org/Bullying-and-Cyberbullying-Laws.pdf [Accessed 8/12/2019];
6. Post, R. (2017). The Classic First Amendment Tradition Under Stress: Freedom of Speech and the University. Yale Law School, Public Law Research Paper, (619).

Nowadays, the internet is an atypical access to user’s lives which creates new forms of infringement like cyberbullying which can be briefly defined as using the internet web to share a text or image of harmful content. As Jun (2020) pointed out that “Cyberbullying can be done anytime via email, mobile phone, or SNS(Social Network Service), so victims are likely to suffer indiscriminate violence around the clock.”(P.4). This essay research will discuss the causes of cyberbullying which include: self-loathing and sense of superiority.

One cause of cyberbullying in my point of view is the self-loathing of socially inactive people that are living in what is called a “cycle of anger” that they lived either for their whole life or in a particular phase (mainly in childhood) suffered from bullying and other forms of aggressive and frustrating behaviors which left these people suffering mentally. Over time, signs of injustice and anger begin to appear clearly in their behaviors and use the internet web as a bridge to reach their victims. Offenders tend to boost their broken ego by bullying others looking for respect which makes them feel of fake and unsatisfied strength (Nurfarhanah et al.,2019, P.302). Moreover, they consider their aggressive behaviors as normal and people get what they deserve, and sometimes they use cyberbullying and consider it as revenge trying to hurt or destroy others.

The second cause is the sense of superiority of socially active like popular or rich people who already have that respect and power and they are motivated to use cyberbullying either to strengthen their position in society or as Li (2010) stated that they mainly use it as a tool of entertainment. The most suspicious fact is cyberbullying is seen by one in five as a “cool” behavior(P.383).In fact, the sense of superiority gives them the courage to bully others, and most probably they are not afraid of the reaction that the one who was bullied may take or the punishment due to their social standing and the respect they gained in advance.

In conclusion, there is a list of causes of cyberbullying which includes: self-loathing and a sense of superiority. In my viewpoint, internet users’ awareness of cyberbullying and how to hinder bullies is necessary. Moreover, the best way to combat cyberbullying is to work to prevent it; empathy can be a protective factor since it’s a normal human feeling that makes the person understand what others feel. Also, educating the public about digital responsibility towards each other.

References:

1. Jun w.(2020). A study on the cause analysis of cyberbullying in Korean adolescents. Environmental research and public health; 17(13), 4648; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134648
2. Li Q.(2010).Cyberbullying in high schools: a study of students’ behaviors and beliefs about this new phenomenon. Journal of aggression, maltreatment & trauma;19:(4)372-392, DOI: 10.1080/10926771003788979 
3. Nurfarhanah, Afdal, Andriani W, Syahniar, Mudjiran, Daharnis, Alizamar, Zikra Z.(2019). Analysis of the causes of cyberbullying: preliminary studies on guidance and counseling media. Advances in social science, education, and humanities research;372:300-305. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/USER/Downloads/125925099%20(1).pdf

Introduction:

On 3rd May 2017, a student who studies at TARUC committed suicide because of cyberbullying. Even though his friends were successful persuade him to give up suicidal thoughts temporarily but at last, he still decided to end his life. This news astonished everyone and started to notice the problem of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying means the activity of using the internet to harm or frighten another person. (Cambridge Dictionary online, n.d.). Cyberbullying can call a stealth killer because it causes fatal cases to occur. Examples of fatal cases are commit suicide, murder, and manslaughter. In fact, there are a lot of types and meanings of cyberbullying such as exclusion and harassment is the most serious which is persistently sending offensive and malicious messages to the victim online. Research show in 2018, our country ranked 2nd in the Asia bullying ranking and ranked 6th of 26 countries that have cyberbullying cases. However, everyone has their own perspective on this issue. Hence, it is empirical to include legal, victims, psychological, and bullies to look into should cyberbullying be considered to be a criminal offense.

Legal Perspective:

Cyberbullying should be considered a criminal offense to constrain the action of the bully through penalty or jail so that the cases will be decreased. For example, the United Kingdom is no legal definition of cyberbullying in their laws. However, there are a number of existing laws that can be applied to cases of cyberbullying, like the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Malicious Communications Act 1988, Communications Act 2003, Breach of the Peace (Scotland), and Defamation Act 2013.

In Malaysia, laws that can charge under cyberbullying cases are Computer Crimes Act 1997. Section Three: Unauthorized access to computer materials. If convicted, the offender is liable to a fine of not more than RM50,000 or a prison term of not more than five years. Section Five: unauthorized modification to contents. If convicted, the offender is liable to a fine of not more than RM100,000 or a prison term of not more than seven years. Besides, Communication and Multimedia is also a law for cyberbullying. Act Section 223: Improper use of network facilities or network services. Under this section, any comment which sounds obscene is false, menacing, or offensive in character with the intent to threaten another person to commit an offense. Lastly, Legal must provide more protection from online dangers. Therefore, people can be at ease using Facebook, Instagram, and other social media to post their thoughts while not being cyberbullied.

Victims Perspective:

Cyberbullying causes more harm to people than that normal face-to-face. According to The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (2016), the speed at which harmful messages can reach a large size of the audience through the internet also plays a major part in making cyberbullying so damaging to the victims. The size of the audience that is able to view or access those harmful messages will increase the victim’s humiliation by sharing out the massage with an untold number of people. Through cyberbullying, the identity of the bully is remaining anonymous and this will lead to great insecurity for the victim. There are cases that the victim is being bullied by their friends which is a serious problem because they might have more detailed pieces of information about the victim.

Victims might begin to believe everything bad that is said by other people and they might do something to hurt themselves. It has been well documented that cyberbullying has caused tragedy including suicide, and self-harm. According to JMIR Publication (2018), studies showed that, compared with non-victims, those who have been cyberbullied are 2.35 times as likely to self-harm, 2.10 times as likely to exhibit suicidal behavior and 2.57 times as likely to attempt suicide. Cyberbully causes serious harm to victims because of bully often misuse cyber resources in many ways to bully people online for their own satisfaction which badly influenced the victim.

Psychological Perspective:

In the position of psychologist, it has pros and cons for cyberbullying should be considered a crime. Cyberbullying should be considered a crime because it has influenced bullying the victim’s life was emphasized throughout all the interviews of an investigation (Samara, 2017). According to the survey by Brandwatch Research (2016), the majority of insults related broadly to intelligence and appearance. The practitioner psychologists felt that cyberbullying significantly contributed to psychopathology and directly influenced the psychological health of a victim. Therefore, the advantage of cyberbullying being considered a crime can help the victim to have a better life.

Besides, cyberbullying should not be considered criminal because punishment does not educate the bullies, they need to make psychological changes through psychological counseling. Society, teachers, and parents should solve the bullying epidemic through education, instead of the criminal justice system. We need to control social media and widespread awareness, not criminal prosecutions. It can be difficult to have sympathy for a bully, but if we can remember that victims and bullies are sometimes one and the same, we can give the support that they really need. Successful strategies to prevent bullying among disabled students include teachers and peers engaging in appropriate social interactions (Rose & Monda-Amaya, 2012). As a consequence, if cyberbullying not be considered a crime, the problems of cyberbullying can be reduced gradually through education.

Bully Perspective:

From a bully’s perspective, cyberbullying should not be considered a criminal offense because they may be victims too. They decide to act out maybe because bullied by others or having problems at home. According to Bullying Statistics, 54% of students who witness violence and abuse will probably become bullies (Bullying Facts, 2013). The bully might come from a family that lacks parents involvement. They use cyberbullying to attract their parents’ attention.

Bullies should look for consultation but not punishment. They will involve themselves in cyberbullying maybe because something bad happen to them so they used cyberbullying to show their sadness. They deserve forgiveness. They might also regret what they have done but society shuts them away. Richard Schwandt, a psychotherapist specializing said that hate and vengeance will only continue the destructive process the bully began. (Workplace Bullying Recovery, 2011). Society should depend on bullies’ mistakes. If they did a small mistake that did not cause serious problems, society should give them a chance because they are still young and able to learn. They should have a chance to put effort on themselves. They will have more hatred and it is hard for them to change their behaviors if choose to punish them. So, bullies need to have a voice. Take time to let them explain before deciding to criminate them.

Our stand:

Cyberbullying should be considered as a criminal offense. This is because when bullies started to write something online, they should know they need to take responsibility for their own actions and words. They cannot think that the actions they have done are just a joke and everyone must be accepting the jokes. However, some words they have used are ironic. As a matter of fact, these are personal attacks. All the people who had participated in this should accept the punishment.

On the other hand, the words and the actions will cause the litigant to feel uncomfortable and shame. Especially, bullies have put the litigant’s picture without asking permission and written some inelegant words. Maybe some people will think just a picture but the litigant will not. Then, other people will follow the bully to make a lot of negative comments. At this moment, those actions will cause the litigant to have psychological stress and gradually they also have mental problems, in serious will cause depression. In the end, the litigant cannot bear and choose to commit suicide. Therefore, the bully should understand the cases are caused by them, and they should get punishment even though they are a teenager.

Proposed solution:

In fact, a criminal offense is a type of wrongdoing that someone distinguishes from a civil wrong. Crimes are behaviors that society views as offending not just the specific victim, but also the sensibilities of society as a whole. (Janet,n.d.). Normally punishment for a criminal offense is either fine that may exceed RM 5000, imprisonment, or both of it. Actually, the punishments will reduce if they are under 18 years old. This type of punishment can give the bully a lesson to learn responsibility and also give the public a warning on this issue. Thus, Malaysia Law must add cyberbullying as a criminal offense. Furthermore, school authorities should educate teenagers to avoid them involve in cyberbullying cases. Lastly, schools should be more concerned about the students involved in cyberbullying. The reason for choosing this topic is because many people are losing their life nowadays due to cyberbullying so we think we need to attach importance to it.

Conclusion:

Prevention is better than cure. Therefore, cyberbullying should consider a criminal offense in order to reduce cyberbullying that has risen. Besides, Malaysia should add punishment to punish those people who participate in cyberbullying. In addition, every life in this world is very precious, it is not something that can be controlled by others.  

In a society that we live in today, cyberbullying is so prevalent. Based on the website thewindowsclub.com, cyberbullying may be defined as the method where the bullies and the bullied make use of modern technologies. According to stopbullying.gov, cyberbullying may occur through SMS, apps, or social media platforms where people have the choice of viewing, participating, or sharing content. It continues to say that cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative or mean information about someone, it may be private or personal information. It is said that cyberbullying is a worldwide issue and that it needs to be resolved. Cyberbullying is a great danger to society. It causes harm to people and results negatively for, both, the bully and the victim. Cyberbullying may not harm someone physically but can harm them mentally. The causes and effects of cyberbullying can vary and it can be very dangerous to a lot of people.

A few effects of cyberbullying may include a lack of socialization, a drop in grades, a lack of sleep, and low self-esteem. Children, teenagers, and even adults may some of the times have these effects. Socialization may or may not affect everyone who is cyberbullied or who has been cyberbullied. People may shut out or ignore people around them because they are being bullied on social media. If they show a lack of interest in anything and stay in their room all the time, then this is called chronic depression. Chronic depression is something that we should not take lightly. In today’s society, we see a lot of young children, even from the age of two years old, being engaged in online activities. Often times lack of socialization leads to children being left feeling humiliated. Some of the time children may be terrified to leave their home because they fear what people may say to them; whether they may say it online or face to face.

Cyberbullying may also affect children’s grades in school. Children will spend more time on social media than more time in their school work. According to verywellfamily.com, cyberbullying victims have a much higher rate of absenteeism than that non-bullied children. They went on to say that their grades suffer because they find it extremely difficult to concentrate or to even study. The reason is that the bullying causes them to have anxiety and stress. In some cases, we see where children either drop out of school or lose interest in continuing their education after high school. Some children who cyberbully others have no remorse for the ones they are doing it to. Children are rather impulsive when it comes to certain actions online, they do not think before they act. It is really and truly sad to see that this is what the world has come to.

Cyberbullying may also affect how people sleep. This is so because, they may be up all night on social media, scrolling looking at their comments or on how many likes that they get. This is especially unhealthy for children’s bodies and minds. At night our bodies need to repair for the next day. So they need at least eight hours of sleep every night for this to happen. A lack of sleep may also arrive from having suicidal thoughts at night and also self-harming. Parents should notice if they see any drastic change in their children and confront them about it. Lack of sleep may also be called insomnia. Insomnia may be defined as the inability to sleep.

Cyberbullying may affect one’s self-esteem. According to endocyberspace.com, because the victims are being humiliated within cyberspace, they tend to develop low self-esteem. With low self-esteem the victim will become disinterested in school, social activities, making friends, or building relationships. For example, this may happen to a girl, who gets called fat on social media, she will begin to ask herself questions such am I really that fat? She will begin to dwell on this and become depressed; and also as a result have low self-esteem. Low self-esteem also comes with feeling alone and isolated. The victims may feel as if they have no one to talk to, or no one to share their problems with. If a child is not being supervised properly they may choose to commit suicide because they have low self-esteem.

We are living in a world now where people bully and get bullied on a daily basis. In this world there are two kinds of people who bully, they are the socially active people and the socially inactive people. Some causes of cyberbullying may include the nature of the internet, revenge, and drug and alcohol abuse, just to name a few.

According to flyextremeworld.com, they found that cyberbullies feel anonymous, which gives them more incentive to be aggressive as they feel there, will be no consequences. In today’s society, there is not a lot of face-to-face conversation happening anymore. This is because the use of social media has increased significantly. So if someone has a problem with another person, they would rather go online and express themselves rather than go to the person and talk to them face to face. The internet increases the use of the anonymous and mysterious nature of the person. This gives them somewhat of control in bullying someone and makes them feel powerful or even untouchable. They also believe that just because you cannot see them that they will never get in trouble. With this in mind, they may attack the person way harsher than they would in person and it can hurt far worse than any physical confrontation.

Revenge is another cause of cyberbullying. People seek revenge simply because they may have been bullied before and want to get revenge on the person who bullied them. They get power from bullying others and this is not a healthy way to live. Take for example a teenager who is not physically strong being bullied in school. The way they take their revenge is on the internet by using their words as a weapon against others. When people become cyberbullies they actually make the person who bullied them before their own target. According to psycnet.apa.org, an online survey was conducted on 473 students in which data was collected from them. Of the 473 students, 149 of them were identified as victims or cyberbullies. The results showed that students who were bullied did indeed make their targets the person who bullied them in the first place.

Cyberbullying can also cause drug and alcohol abuse. Drugs and alcohol can be used as an escape for a person being bullied. Substance use is strongly associated with trauma and co-occurring mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. On the other hand, research does show that adolescents who have been bullied are twice likely to use alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes than those who have not been bullied. Those who are on the receiving end of bullying are not the ones being negatively affected by cyberbullying. Teenagers may experience mental health and substance abuse issues in association with cyberbullying, parents should look out for concerns such as increased anxiety or worry, declining energy, declining interest in enjoyable activities, or evidence of self-harm.

The causes and effects of cyberbullying are very serious nowadays, and we should pay more attention and take more action against this act. While cyberbullying may not be physical as a punch, the words used toward a person may be hurtful, and overall it causes problems for all those that are affected.