This article has been written by Ms. Nancy Maggo, a 5th year BBA LLB students from L aw College Dehradun faculty of Uttaranchal University
INTRODUCTION-
When a teenager or younger child uses a computer or other electronic device top threaten, humiliate, or otherwise harass a peer, it is called cyberbullying. It might take place via a laptop, a phone, or a tablet, and it might take place online in chat rooms, online forums, social media, text messages, and email. Cyberbullies can cause untold damage to their victims at any time, from virtually anywhere, as long as they have access to the Internet and a powerful device. Furthermore, because the act doesn’t necessitate face-to-face interactions like physical bullying, it may be challenging to apprehend the offenders in a timely manner.
EXAMPLE OF CYBERBULLYING :- Cyberbullying manifests in a variety of heinous ways. In an effort to threaten or taunt his or her victim, a bully may send texts or emails. In more nefarious cases, they might hack into social media or email accounts to either steal the identities of victims or embarrass them by publishing offensive posts in their names. Some online bullies even create a website just to make their target feel bad. The prevalence of cyberbullying varies the sexes. For instance, male bullies have been known to threaten other boys with physical harm while texting women to harass them sexually. To exact retribution for perceived wrongdoings, girls, on the other hand, may divulge secrets or spread lies and rumors about other girls. Some people pretend to be “means girls” by criticizing others on social media and excluding friends from online cliques.
For cyberbullying to cybercrime
Cyberbullying can turn into cybercrime, despite the fact that guidelines for the quickly evolving world of online social networking are still being developed. Two girls, one 11 and the other 12, were charged in 2011 with first-degree computer trespassing and cyberstalking for allegedly targeting a 12-year-old girl who was a former friend. After obtaining the victim’s password, the pair is alleged to have posted sexually explicit images and messages on her Facebook profile. For their alleged crimes, both defendants could spend up to 30 days in a juvenile detention facility. This incident is just one illustration of how cyberbullying can lead to a cybercrime that breaks the law. It also highlights the growing significance of children’s online safety.
What is considered as cyberbullying
There are many forms of cyber-bullying. The degree and nature of these cyber offenses are also varied. Cyberbullies tend to resort to repeated behavior with intent to humiliate, scare, anger, or shame the targeted victims. Citing some examples of cybercrime and bullying,
- Spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos of someone on social media;
- Impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf;
- Hacking personal accounts again and again;
- Flaming, which is the use of vulgar or insensitive language to attack someone;
- Sending threatening, hurtful or inappropriate messages to harass someone;
- Sharing someone’s private messages or picture or threatening/blackmailing to do so;
- Threatening someone to commit an act of violence or threats of pornography;
- Stalking someone and sending targeted messages;
- Child pornography or threats of child pornography, etc.
Intimidation, emotional damage, and suicide
The Cyberbullying Research Centre reports that “ there have been several high- profile cases involving teenagers taking their own lives in the part beacuase they were harassed and mistreated over the internet, a phenomenon we have termed cyberbullicide”—suicide that is either directly influenced by experiences with online aggression.
In comparison to traditional bullying, cyberbullying is a severe form of psychological abuse whose victims are more than twice as likely to experience mental disorders.
There have been fatal consequences as a result of young people’s reluctance to report instances of cyberbullying to an adult. According to reports from USA Today and the Baltimore Examiner, at least three kids between the ages of 12 and 13 have committed suicide as a result of depression brought on by online bullying. These include Ryan’s suicide.
Special concern –
Due to the popularity of social medis forums, people frequently share comments, photos, posts, and other cintents that can be seen by both acquaintances and complete strangers. A person’s online activity, including any negative, hurtful, or hurtful content they share, becomes a kind of irreversible public record of their beliefs, actions, and behavior. This public record, which may be accessed by schools, employers, colleges, clubs, and others conducting current or future background checks on a person, can be thought of as their online reputation. Not just the victim of cyberbullying, but also those who bully or participate in it, can have their online reputations harmed. Cyberbullying raises particular issues because it may involve:
Persistent – Digital devices offer an ability to immediately and continuously communicate 24 hours a day, so it can be difficult for children experiencing cyberbullying to find relief.
Permanent – Most information communicated electronically is permanent and public, if not reported and removed. A negative online reputation, including for those who bully, can impact college admissions, employment, and other areas of life.
Hard to Notice – Because teachers and parents may not overhear or see cyberbullying taking place, it is harder to recognize.
Laws and Sanction–
There are laws in every state requiring schools to deals with bullying.The prevalence of cyberbullying has increased due to the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying in their laws or make reference to cyberbullying offenses. Schools may act in accordance with the law or in accordance with local or institutional rules that permit them to impose punishment or take other measures. Some states have laws that address bullying if it interferes with students’ academic performance. You can discover more about each state’s laws and regulations, including whether or not they address cyberbullying.
Frequency of cyberbullying –
There are two sources of federally collected data on youth bullying:
1.According to the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice’s 2019 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, approximately 16 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 nationwide have experienced cyberbullying.
2. According to the 2019 Youth Risk behaviour surveillance system ( centres for disease control and prevention), 15.7% of high school students reported experiencing cyberbullying in the year before the survey.
Reference
1.https://www.unicef.org/end-voilence/how-to-stop-cyberbullying
2.https://www.avast.com/c-cyberbullying
3.http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it
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