Social Psychology and Cyber Bullying
Bullies have been a part of childhood and growing up for generations. It has also been a major focus for social psychologists for many years now too. However, the face of bullying is changing and looks much different than what previous generations faced. With new technology and the rapid growth and reach of social media, the new face of bullying has been realized- cyber bullying. Many kids fall victim to this form of bullying, but fortunately there are many steps that can be taken to make things easier.
Cyber bullying occurs through the use of electronic technology, just as its name implies. It can occur on social media sites, through private emails, on online instant chat messenger, and through posts on website forums. Kids who are the victim of cyber bullied are often also bullied in real life in their schools or in other social groups. Cyber bullying can be so much harder to deal with and ignore because there does not have to be any face to face contact. This also makes it harder to study from the social psychology standpoint as well. It is not like normal bullying and it can reach into the one safe haven the child used to have- their own home. This is the face of cyber bullying that many people do not fully comprehend.
It is a technology driven world and that means kids who are victims of bullying are easy targets. If they have a cell phone or are online or have an email they can still get the threats, jeers, comments, and jokes made at their expense- in front of the entire digital world. Kids who deal with cyber bullying suffer greatly and face many challenges and obstacle that most people do not even think about. The victims are more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, skip school, fail classes, become depressed, be more prone to health problems, and be more likely to attempt suicide. It is obviously a very real danger and it is one that is becoming more and more common in schools.
Parents of course want to protect their children and keep them safe, but they cannot be there every waking moment. There are some important and thankfully easy steps that can take to protect children and help them avoid cyber bullying. Parents need to talk to their kids about cyber bullying and make sure they understand that they can talk to them about anything that happens to them.
Bullies have been a part of growing up ever since kid started hanging out together for long periods of time. It has also been a major focal points of social psychologist around the globe, and it is indeed a global issues now. There has been much research and study dedicated to understanding why some kids bully others and why some kids get bullied more than others. However, it is not enough and people need to get involved in the lives of young people today. That is the best way to make a difference and stamp out bullying for good.
