July 16 2012
Cyber bullying
Cyber bullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. By definition, it occurs among young people. When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking. Bullying is a national public health problem affecting millions of students, bullying that involves emotional or physical intimidation is associated with a major public health concern facing youth today. With the rapid increase in electronic or online communication, bullying is no longer limited to schools; cyberspace has been implicated as a new risky environment for bullying. This can be described as repeated harmful events, which over time are directed at usual persons that are carried out by one or several other people who are stronger than the victim. Harmful events can be aggressive physical contact in the form of fights and shoving, and verbal threats. Behaviors of a bully will consist of actions such as hitting, kicking, pushing, teasing, or threatening an individual, also bullying can be relational social segregation, harming friendships, spreading rumors; although physical bullying cannot happen but by the use of technology, both verbal and relational bullying can be harmful which can lead to depression, suicide, low self-esteem, and intense stress.
Cyber bulling lead to depression because technology has given rise to a relatively new form of bullying which inflicts emotional harm in a stealth manner, working through Web sites, chat rooms, e-mail, cell phones and instant messaging. And according to a new national study by Iowa State University researchers, one out of every two lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and allied youths are regular victims of "cyber bullying," which causes psychological and emotional distress to victims -- producing thoughts of suicide in some who are repeatedly...