Cyber Bullying an Epidemic

Ravi Adams

Mrs. Charnosky

English 15

November 7, 2011

Cyber Bullying an Epidemic

Is cyber bullying an epidemic? Have you ever been excluded from a game of tag, or party with friends? If not, how would you feel if your son or daughter came home crying because he or she was bullied? Even worse, how would you react if you found out it was happening in your own home? The bullying of today is no longer focused towards the popular crew physically picking on those who do not have the latest trends or coolest toys. It has instead been replaced by online teasing which can occur at any given time thanks to the Internet.

Students' are no longer using the usual bullying strategies which makes it harder for parents to recognize bullying is even going on. There's not the usual bloody nose, torn shirts, or fat lips, instead they use the internet to abuse their fellow classmates by making fun of their clothes, hair, acne, or other physical characteristics.

Bully Advance Screening Hosted by First Lady Katie...

English: A graph showing where electronic aggressi...

Bullying UK

In fact, 15% of teens either said they were a target of cyber bullying and 88% either witnessed victims being called mean names over the internet. 12% of students said they see things like this happen frequently, 29% witness bullying occurring over the internet sometimes. The parents aren't even really seeing what is being said while only 69% of them said they've witnessed cruelty online, 7% only saying they see it every once in awhile (Merino).

As face-to-face bullying has decreased in various places, cyber bullying has been on the rise from the internet. "Children seen as outsiders by their peers - those with developmental disabilities, mental health problems, and gays or lesbians - are the most common targets of bullies both in the schoolyard...