A Letter to My Cyberbully

Imagine one day you woke up to the sound of sirens wailing in the distance. You turn the T.V on and see the 7a.m. news, broadcasting a suicide that took place less than a mile from where you lived. "The mother of 17-year-old Cheong Lai Ming found him motionless in his bed. Next to him, covered in smudges of his blood was a letter."

You hear the letter being read, and you feel this deep sense of guilt in the form of a burden fall onto your shoulders, but your name was never mentioned. At the pit of your stomach, you feel a sudden emptiness. It begins tugging on you, hurting, and the thought of what you just witnessed gets to you. See, you didn't give him the gun, you didn't pull the trigger, but you stood there and watched him shoot himself. You were not the cyberbully, but that guy who saw what was happening, and didn't do a thing.

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Now stop imagining. If you feel sick to your stomach, then know that a scenario like this could happen, but shouldn't. So here's 4 ways on how you can prevent cyberbullying:-

1. Pay Attention Nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online (Dosomething.org, 2017), and only half of them tell an adult (PRNewswire, 2017). Notice the cues of being a cyberbully victim such as loneliness, anger, high rates of depression, low self-esteem, an inability to concentrate on school work, poor school grades, anxiety, and even suicidal behavior (Teasley, 2017), and nip it in the bud. Recognize if there has been a change in mood or behavior and explore what the cause might be, and if those changes are amplified around a child’s use of their digital devices (StopBullying.gov, 2017)

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2. Take a Screenshot or Report Of the 69% of teens that own their own computer or smart phone, 80% are active on social media (Cyberbullyhotline, 2017). With the increase in a lack of face-to-face communication, most communication among teens is done online. So, if you see a post, message or picture that checks these two boxes-- ◻ does it hurt others? ◻ No, I wouldn't want to receive something like this. --then screenshot the message and send it to an adult, or report the message immediately. Most social media platforms and schools have clear policies and reporting processes. If a classmate is cyberbullying, report it the school. You can also contact apps or social media platforms to report offensive content and have it removed (StopBullying.gov, 2017).

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3. Say Something

70% of teens admit they have witnessed cyberbullying (Green, 2017). If your friends are cyberbullies, call them on it and explain to them how hurtful their actions are. If a friend is being cyberbullied, don’t stand by and do nothing. Talk to them about it and seek help from an adult. If you see something, say something. Your support may be just what the victim needs to overcome the problem.

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4. Educate

The first step to help is the one you're willing to give yourself, so first educate yourself on what cyberbullying is, it's causes, effects and ways of prevention. Even if you yourself have not been cyberbullied, statistics show that 3 in 10 teens claim to have been bullied online (PRNewswire, 2017). After educating yourself, take your knowledge out into the world and educate others; peers, family or even strangers. As there are approximately 4,400 cyberbullying-related suicide attempts in a year alone (Bullying Statistics, 2017), due to the advancement of technology and a growing lack of empathy among teens, education about this topic is undoubtedly important.

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Cyber-bullying is a growing disease in today's century, and although teens have various reasons for actively taking part in this social abhorration, it is unjustifiable in regards to the toll it takes on its victims. You don't need to be an adult or a person with power to make a difference, you just need to do the right thing. And the first step to righting a wrong, begins with you--

References

Bullying Statistics. (2017). Bullying and Suicide - Bullying Statistics. [online] Available at: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2017].

Cyberbullyhotline. (2017). Cyberbullying Stats Show Massive Occurance Rate. [online] Available at: http://www.cyberbullyhotline.com/07-10-12-scourge.html [Accessed 25 Nov. 2017].

Dosomething.org. (2017). 11 Facts About Cyber Bullying | DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change. [online] Available at: https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying [Accessed 28 Nov. 2017].

Green, P. (2017). 7 Ways To Prevent Cyberbullying. [online] TeachThought. Available at: https://www.teachthought.com/technology/7-ways-to-prevent-cyberbullying/ [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

PRNewswire. (2017). Survey: Teens Don't Tell Adults When They Are Bullied Online. [online] Available at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survey-teens-dont-tell-adults-when-they-are-bullied-online-244998221.html [Accessed 27 Nov. 2017].

StopBullying.gov. (2017). Prevent Cyberbullying. [online] Available at: https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/prevention/index.html [Accessed 26 Nov. 2017].

Teasley, M. (2017). Cyberbullying, Youth Behavior and Society.