BULLYING is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is a cycle, or has the potential to be repeat itself, over time. Both the bullied and the bully may have serious and lasting problems. To consider bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include the following: an imbalance of power and repetition. An imbalance of power means kids who bully use their power- such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity- to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people. Repetition means bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose (What is Bullying?).
Cyberbullying, according to the dictionary, means the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else may cause embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior. The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok, text messaging, chat rooms, email, and others (What is Cyberbullying?, July 17, 2022).
Cyberbullying must be stopped. It is because it has several devastating effects on the physical and emotional aspects of the person being bullied by others. It can manifest psychological problems like loneliness, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. It can result in some physical effects like headaches, stomach aches, and sleeping disorders as well. If a person is a victim of cyberbullying,they are humiliated and embarrassed which will probably result to depression, anxiety, sadness, and low self-esteem. The person who is being bullied will be withdrawing themselves from their family and loved ones, and prefer to spend a lot of time alone. They do not want to be with others, they tend to isolate themselves from others.
Victims of cyberbullying can experience wide-ranging effects, including mental health issues, poor academic performance, a desire to drop out of school (if ever they are learners), and even suicidal ideation. Bullies themselves are also at an increased risk of issues such as substance abuse and experiencing violence. Bottom line? When it comes to cyberbullying, everybody losses (Effects of Cyberbullying on Social Media, July 17, 2022 ).
Victims of cyberbullying also experience being unmotivated. They prefer to be in isolation and they want to keep everything a secret. They are in isolation and secrecy. They have a poor focus on themselves and everything that they do. They cannot concentrate on what they are doing every day. They are always angry and aggressive. They also have the feeling of being helpless to their family, loved ones, and others around them.
If the victim of cyberbullying cannot take it anymore, there is the tendency that they will commit suicide. This is the most dangerous effect of cyberbullying on an individual. The feeling of isolation and helpless may lead them to have an idea of suicide. They may feel that they can no longer feel in control with their life. They are depressed and sad because they are embarrassed and humiliated on social media sites and everyone can see and read it.
So, let us help one another to stop cyberbullying and other forms of bullying. Let us remember that bullying is dangerous and bullying can kill an individual. Let us love one another instead of hurting and bullying one another. Bullying has no good effects on everyone. It can only give everyone some harmful and dangerous effects. That is why let us avoid bullying. Let us spread love instead of spreading hate to others. Bullying of any form, including cyberbullying, must be stopped to save the lives of one and all.
