Why is Cyber

Bullying on the Rise?

By: Yolanda Epp

Alexis Pilkington, 17

Committed suicide March 21st after being

taunted on social networking sites.

Morgan Meier, 13

Committed suicide October 17th after being

taunted on social networking sites by a

former friend’s mother.

Phoebe Prince, 15

Committed suicide after being cyber bullied by

girls who didn’t like that she was seeing a

certain boy.

Committed suicide after being bullied and cyber

bullied from fifth to seventh grade.

Ryan Halligan, 14

So if people have seen the

possible outcomes of

cyber bullying, why is it so

appealing to so many people? Why is it on

the rise?

Reason # 1

The technology is

so easily available!!

76.2%percent of the population in North

America have Internet access.

71 percent of teens between the ages of 12

and 17 own a cell phone.

Anyone can set up a

MySpace or Facebook

page!

Reason # 2

Bullies can remain

completely anonymous.

Fake accounts on MySpace and Facebook

are created – so you have no idea who is doing the bullying.

45.5 percent of victims cannot identify who is

doing the cyber bullying.

Being able to remain anonymous means the bully doesn’t have to

feel guilty if the victim is visibly upset.Kowalski, Robin, Susan Limber. "Electronic Bullying Among Middle School Students".

Journal of Adolescent Health 2007: S22-S30.

Reason # 3

There are tons of ways to participate.

Instant Messaging

Set up fake

accounts

Exclude peers

Print conversati

ons

Cell Phones

taking unwanted pictureslocker room

sending threatening messages

Blogs

Emails

Chat Rooms

Social Networkin

g Sites

Reason # 4

Lack of Supervision

=Parents don’t realize cell

phones need to be monitored the same way a child’s computer is monitored.Cell phones are the

new PC.

Reason # 5

Victims are not likely to report

the abuse.

Kids are afraid parents will take away their

Internet privileges, so they don’t tell.

Students aren’t supposed to be on cell phones during

the school day. They don’t want to

get in trouble.

Students don’t feel like teachers will

help.

Final Thoughts

We have to intervene

whether the bullying takes place at school

or not!

Final Thoughts

20 years ago, 250 British

inmates were surveyed…

Of those inmates, most

had been bullies or victims of bullying in school…

When those who were bullied

complained…

The inmates said that teachers

paid very little or no attention to

the complaints…

Shariff, Shaheen, Dianne Hoff. "Cyber Bullying: Clarifying Legal Boundaries for School Supervision in Cyberspace". International Journal of Cyber Criminology January 2007: 76-118.