Ways To Prevent And Solve The Issue Of Cyber Bullying

My topic is cyber bullying on social media, Cyber bullying is the act of using digital devices in order to harass, threaten or bully someone on social media. In this research paper, I will focus on the impact of cyber bullying on adolescent and why it is considered a serious issue that affects their mental health and lifestyle. In addition, I will focus on the role of parents and government in this issue and why it is still happening. I will limit the time period of my topic to the last ten years, as they are the most relevant. Limiting the topic geographically is difficult since everyone can access social media platforms from any place in the world as long as it has Wi-Fi, but to be more accurate my main focus will be on the United State and some Middle East countries. Any individual with Internet access to social media must have noticed how teenagers receive constant hate from classmates, random strangers or even family members whether there is a reason for it or not. Moreover, they often get body-shamed, called by hurtful names or receive different kinds of threats through direct messages on applications or emails. Cyber victims are the individuals that are being bullied and harassed on the Internet.

Cyber bullying is an issue that everyone needs to be aware of for several reasons for example, it can negatively affect a person’s mental health which can increase the chances of them suffering from depression, anxiety and low self esteem. In addition it can also affect the academic performance and social lifestyle of adolescents. These affects are not easy to handle where most victims do not have the ability or support to recover from these cyber attacks or overcome them, Cyber bullying is something that I constantly witness each time I go on social media and it is really heartbreaking that many people are either unaware of this issue or do not give it enough attention to prevent it. Therefore, it is important to explore this topic more and present it in order to spread awareness on how dangerous this issue is and how it is our responsibility to maintain a healthy environment for everyone especially teenagers and children.

This topic is connected to the third goal of the sustainable development goals; good health and well being which ensures a healthy life for all individuals especially adolescents since the future builds upon them. However, cyber bullying makes it difficult to achieve this goal due to its negative impact on teenagers’ health nowadays. Moreover, receiving constant hate and threats might cause depression or even leas to suicide. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy environment for them by reducing the rates of cyber bullying in order to have a successful future.

The main research question of my research paper is “ Can parental intervention help reduce the rates of cyber bullying by and of adolescents on social media?”. My secondary questions are: How can parents educate their children on responsible social media use? Is providing Internet access for people at a young age by their parents a factor in cyber attacks?. Parental involvement can lower the rates of cyber bullying and its negative effects on adolescents’ health, academic performance and social life.

Discussion of source material:

In this book “Cyber bullying : Protecting kids and adults from online bullies”, the authors define cyber bullying and discuss its psychological and social effects on kids and adults. This source is a scholarly source that was written by Samuel C. McQuade who is a professional studies gradute program coordinator, James P. Colt a coordinator of school safety and security, Nnancy B.B. Meyer who is an established community activist against bullying and cyber bullying. The authors provide examples and common aspects of cyber bullying which include psychological, social and economic aspects. Moreover, the authors discuss the causes of cyber bullying by mentioning both bullies and their victims along with contributing factors to the issue. The authors also included case studies, research and surveys to help the readers understand the problem better along with advice and procedures on how to deal with cyber bullying by spreading awareness in schools and having prevention programs. The authors’ argument about preventing cyber bullying and protecting kids and adults from it is convincing because it is supported by several evidence. The book is significant to my topic because it illustrates the issue of cyber bullying and the importance of protecting adolescents from it. I will be using this book in different sections of my paper such as the effects and solution sections.

In this book “Youth suicide and bullying : Challenges and strategies for prevention and intervention”, the author discusses health related issues that are caused by cyber bullying and how we should prevent it. This source is a scholarly source written by a psychology professor called Peter Goldblum. The book provides information about the link between cyber bullying and suicide or depression, strategies of preventing suicide and the role of traditional bullying and the media. The author examines the psychological aspect of bullies where he proves that bullies tend to be less successful in school and that female bullies report higher rates of anorexia. The author also discusses how the academic performance of cyber bullying victims as well. The argument is convincing and it included different aspects of health that are affected by cyber bullying. It suggests some questions including: is cyber bullying really associated with depression? Is cyber bullying responsible for the low academic performance of victims? This book is significant to my topic because it discusses the connection between health and cyber bullying which also connects to the third sustainable development goal. I can use this source in the health section of my paper and also the solutions section.

“The Gender Based Effect of Cyber Bullying on Academic Achievement and Behavior of Students at Higher Secondary Level” is a part in a research that discusses the impact of cyber bullying on students’ academic performance and behavior. This source is a scholarly source written by University of Lahore students: PhD Scholar Jamila Begum, Assistant Professor Namra Munir and HOD Iftikhar Ahmad Baig. In the research the authors used interviews and Questionnaires for data analysis using statics to determine whether cyber bullying affects the behavior of students more than their academic performance. It also mentions how technology is constantly advancing which can be an issue sometimes because it provides new methods for cyber bullies. The authors also included gender based effects tables where it shows statistics that prove that cyber bullying affects girls more than boys. Moreover, the tables indicate than the academic performance of boys is higher compared to girls. The findings in the research are convincing because it is supported by evidence. This section of the research is significant to my topic because it shows the relationship between cyber bullying and both behavior and academic performance of adolescents. I can use this source in the academic effects section in my paper.

This book “Psychology of victimization” argues that cyber bullying is a growing issue and also discusses effects of bullying victimization and compares between the characteristics of victims of cyber bullying and characteristics of victims of traditional buylling. This book is a scholarly source by Audrey N. Hutcherson. The author mentions the connection between victimization and poor school outcomes where victims feel anxious and unsafe which can force them to skip school and even avoid human interactions. Victims can also become aggressive and experience some changes in behavior due to the bullying and low support from teachers or family members. Victims can also experience low self-esteem and psychosomatic problems. The author also mentions how teachers and parents should spread awareness of this issue in order to prevent it in the future. The argument in this book is convincing because it is based on things that we witness most of the time and it is supported by evidence as well that prove how cyber bullying can significantly impact victims. This book is important to my topic because it illustrates the psychological effects on cyber bullying on victims. I can use this source in the psychological effect section in my research paper.

This article “How to stop your children being cyber bullied (or cyber bullies)”, discusses the proper methods to protect children fro cyber bullying. This article is a scholarly source written by a reporter called Emily Dugan. The author argues how it is wrong to believe that banning children from technology can prevent cyber bullying and that it can increase the risks of being bullied in the real world for not using the Internet like everyone else. Moreover, It can damage the social lives of children because the Internet is the easiest way to contact friends. The author supported this statement by mentioning a story of a girl that experienced this. The author also mentions more evidence to show how teenagers suffer from cyber bullying. The author states that parents should not only check if their children are being bullied online but also if their children are the bullies themselves. Moreover, the author mentions that it is important for parents to teach their children what is acceptable online and what is not. The argument in this article is convincing and is provided by realistic examples. This article is important to my topic because it discusses how parents should teach their children how to behave properly. I can use this source in the solution section in my pa

This article “Bullying and suicidal behavior during adolescence: A developmental perspective”, examines the issue of suicide and bullying from a developmental perspective that focuses on the characteristics of adolescence that might be linked to this problem. This article is a scholarly source written by an associate Professor of Family and Child Studies called Sara E Goldstein and a Postdoctoral Associate at Rutgers University called John F Gunn. The authors argue that adolescents are more likely to have risky behavior due to several factors that can lead to suicide following exposure to bullying. Therefore, they discuss the importance of understanding and study these factors in order to understand the relationship between bullying and suicide during adolescents. The authors also mention how adolescents tend to be emotional and deeply focused on relationships. Lastly the authors discuss prevention strategies that can protect adolescents from cyber bullying. The finding in this article is convincing because it is supported by studies. This article is significant to my topic because it discusses the behavior of adolescents and how they tend to deal with cyber bullying. I will use this source in the effects and solution sections in my paper.