From the Schoolyard to Cyberspace:
The New Forum for Bullies
By Lauren Wolf, Senior, Johns Hopkins University
In September 2010, Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi were freshman roommates at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Friends knew Clementi, 18, as a talented violinist. Ravi was described as being interested in computer programming and video games. On September 19th, Ravi, along with his friend and fellow freshman Molly Wei, filmed Clementi having a sexual encounter in the room they shared and streamed the footage onto the Internet. He posted a Twitter message on that date that read, “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into Molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw them making out... Yay.” Two days later, Ravi posted another message that said, “Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it’s happening again.”
The next day, on September 22nd, Clementi committed suicide when he jumped off the George Washington Bridge. Before he died, Clementi updated his Facebook status to say “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.”
This shocking tragedy received national attention and sparked much-needed dialogue about the issue of cyberbullying. As technology has become more and more advanced and accessible, an increasing number of young people have become targets of aggressive behavior on the Internet. Cyberbullying situations are serious and can have devastating consequences, as in the case of Tyler Clementi.
What Is Cyberbullying?
According to the website of the Cyberbullying Research Center, founded by Dr. Sameer Hinduja, and Dr. Justin Patchin, cyberbullying is defined as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.”
Cyberbullying comes in many forms: Posting intentionally rude, degrading, or false comments on a social networking or other kind of website, uploading personal photos or information belonging to someone else without permission, sending scary or threatening messages, cyberstalking, and posing as another person on the Internet are all forms of cyberbullying.
It’s not just middle and high school students bullying one another, either. According to a recent Student Health 101 survey of 740 students attending public and private colleges and universities in the U.S., 15.3% of students responded that they had been a victim of cyberbullying, while 34.3% responded that they knew someone who had been cyberbullied.
One of the challenges associated with cyberbullying prevention is that it can be hard to identify. Victims might not even know if what they are experiencing constitutes cyberbullying, and, as with many face-to-face bullying situations, they may be afraid to come forward with their claims for fear of the repercussions. Because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, it may be unclear who exactly is behind an online harassment situation. “The cyberbully can cloak his or her identity behind a computer or cell phone using anonymous email addresses or pseudonymous screen names,” says Dr. Hinduja.
Not Realizing Bad Online Behavior
Some people don’t realize that they may be behaving in a hurtful or inappropriate way online. Twenty-eight percent of the students surveyed by Student Health 101 responded that they had signed on to someone else’s screen name to gather information, which can qualify as inappropriate cyber behavior. Also, humor and sarcasm can be lost when communicating through the Internet or texts, and messages that are intended to be funny can be interpreted as very hurtful. Many serious cyberbullying cases have escalated from practical jokes that went too far. Sometimes avoiding a cyberbullying incident is as simple as taking a moment to breathe and assess the situation. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if someone used the Internet to humiliate me?”
What Are the Consequences?
Students who are cyberbullied face a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders. “I was cyberbullied in middle school,” says Devon Rumbarger, a junior at Binghamton University in Vestal, New York. “The girls that were doing it posted mean and angry messages on MySpace, and frequently sent me angry and nasty instant messages. I was hurt, I pretended to be sick so I wouldn’t have to go to school, and I withdrew and became depressed.”
Many also experience a drop in their academic performance. A few, like Tyler Clementi, have committed suicide when they feel that there is no other way out. Those who are bullied might take aggressive action against other students or their own bullies as a form of payback.
For those accused of cyberbullying, the consequences can range from a slap on the wrist to serious legal action. Losing technology privileges is one step that may be taken against first-time bullies. In more severe cases, students who are found guilty of cyberbullying might be suspended from school or removed from sports teams or other clubs. If hacking or identity theft is involved, a case can rise to the state or federal court system. “The cyber world is as real as the ‘real world,’ and therefore has real consequences,” says Jaclyn Tusing, a sophomore at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
What Can You Do?
If you feel that you are the victim of cyberbullying, there are ways to improve your situation. “College students should first and foremost be in control of their online experience,” says Dr. Hinduja. Contact the social networking site you use, your Internet provider, or your cell phone service provider if you feel someone is attacking you or to remove material that presents you in a negative way. Make sure your privacy settings are set at levels that protect all of the information that you want to be hidden. Remember that legal support is available in serious cyberbullying cases.
LAUREN WOLF IS A SENIOR AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. SHE IS MAJORING IN THE WRITING SEMINARS AND PURSUING A MINOR IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT.
Find Out More
Click for some great anti-cyberbullying resources from StopBullying.org.
Click for more about cyberbullying, and how to prevent it, from the UNC-Chapel Hill's reference website.
Interacting Online: Remember Your Manners
Being a good citizen of the digital world goes beyond an avoidance of cyberbullying. Like face-to-face contact, interacting with others online requires etiquette and tact. But it’s easier to be misunderstood or to come across in a negative way when using the Internet. Here are some helpful cybercivility hints to keep in mind next time you log onto your e-mail, instant messenger, or favourite social networking site.
Remember that it’s hard to make a joke online. A comment that is intended to be funny might be taken as an insult, and without the help
of body language or other indicators of humour, a major misunderstanding is just a click away.
Double-check the “To:” box. Always confirm that you’re sending a message to the correct recipient. Sending a communication to the incorrect recipient is, at the very least, annoying for them, and can have more serious consequences depending on the content of the message.
Keep your cool. Don’t send messages or chats when you’re angry. Chances are high that you’ll send something you don’t really mean, and you’ll regret it later. In the same way that jokes become insults, angry comments can be misinterpreted as threats online.
Go with your gut. Before sending a message or posting material to the Internet, ask yourself how you would feel if someone sent you the same message or made a similar post about you. If it would hurt your feelings, chances are high that it will hurt the recipient’s, too.
Knowledge is Power: Cyberbullying Resources
The key to improving many social problems is education, and cyberbullying is no different. To this end, groups at the national and local levels have begun to raise awareness about the damaging effects of cyberbullying. Check out the Anti-Bullying Network page, which includes a Code of Conduct for online interactions and a useful list of resources to contact if you feel you are the victim of cyberbullying. To learn more, CLICK HERE.
The website for the Cyberbullying Research Center, provides cyberbullying research, stories, cases, downloads, fact sheets, online quizzes, tips and strategies, news headlines, an informative blog, and a number of other helpful resources. The Center’s directors, Dr. Sameer Hinduja and Dr. Justin Patchin, also offer seminars on safe social networking and online participation to students and college administrators all over the country. To learn more, CLICK HERE.