Cyber Bullying - We've come a Long Way, Baby. Have we really?

We've come a Long Way, Baby. Have we really?
Delivering The facts About Insidious Online Behaviour.

Abstract:
I doubt Mark Twain was referring to cyber bullying when he said: "A lie can travel around the world while the truth is putting it's shoes on." Although today, cyber-bullying confirms the accuracy of Twain's statement.


I found this journal really useful in explaining the meaning of cyber-bullying and helping to outline how new technologies are contributing to the increasing number of people falling victim to cyber-bullying everyday.  It talks about how social networking has become a part of everyday life in society and how this is fast becoming an easy way for people to 'tap into' one anothers lives.

"Before the internet made "social media" available, we were accustomed to talking to each other. Now, we can tap our phones to tap out way into someones life. It's much easier than tapping into someone's emotions - or our own for that matter. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Chat Rooms and Blogs make it happen..."

Secrets, Lies, and the internet enter Cyber Bullying, a relatively new fact of life allowing bullies almost unlimited power to torment, harass and humiliate their targets via e-mail, password and ID theft, chat rooms, camera, instant messaging and cell phones. Cyber bullying through proxy, a lesser known form of malicious bullying, occurs when bullies cause unsuspecting targets to do their dirty deeds. Malicious messages, defamatory words, compromising photographs and videos that inflict pain, damage reputations, de-mean, embarrass and attack the target's character and appearance, and reach thousands in overdrive, cause significant emotional distress, depression, and 'cyberbullicide'.

The journal also included a section on how to detect warning signs of cyber-bullying around you as well as ways of avoiding falling a victim to this kind of abuse.

Top 10 Cyber Bullying Warning Sign


1. Reluctance to use the computer or other electronic devices.
2. Fear of leaving home
3. Grades plunge, loses interest in school, or drops out
4. Lack of or extreme eating or sleeping
5. Change in dress and appearance
6. Appears sad or becomes angry after using computer or cell phone.
7. Stops socialising with friends.
8. Unusually depressed and/or moody.
9. Expresses an unusual interest in self-harm or suicide
10. Switches screen or closes the computer when someone walks by.


http://content.ebscohost.com/pdf27_28/pdf/2011/8RKO/01Sep11/69620396.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=69620396&S=R&D=ehh&EbscoContent=dGJyMMTo50SeqLU4v%2BbwOLCmr0qep7NSr6a4S6%2BWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGptkqyqLRMuePfgeyx43zx