SPRING 2021
Cyberbullying
SA
By Saja Abbas
Who or what is affected Background
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying
Mental health is so important to achieve and
includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false,
sustaining well-being, and simultaneously reducing
or mean content about someone else. Being targeted by a
youth depression, anxiety, and suicidal intent
cyberbully may increase your child's risk of anxiety,
continues to be a core underpinning of many
depression, low self-esteem, or even feelings of
public health programs. An organized
worthlessness.Some common long-term effects of
determination of well-being in adolescents is the
cyberbullying include depression, low self-esteem, unhealthy
extent to which an individual feels socially
addictions, trust issues, and poor mental health.
connected with others. Young people increasingly
Cyberbullying can cause psychological effects such as fear,
connect with others online especially now the
destruction of self-esteem, social isolation, poor academic
pandemic due to COVID- 19, many people had to
performance. It can also lead to difficulty in forming healthy
stay home, and the impact of this on young
relationships and most importantly, victims can develop
people’s relationships and well-being is very
severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and
important to consider. Cyber abuse bullying can
depression which will lead to mental health.
cause serious long-term problems for both the bully and the bullied which can cause mental health. The bullied person can have problems in school, issues with depression, slipping grades, and could even resort to drug use to deal with problems caused by the bullying they experience. In terms of mental health, it can cause significant emotional, psychological, and physical distress which may experience physical symptoms, mental health issues, and struggle academically.
Solutions
Current
Stopping cyberbullying is to act and don’t respond to
My opinion on this will lead to an issue in the future if we did not
the bully but that doesn’t mean you end the bully
take action because this has the cause and effect of the
however you made the first step to change. Also, they
relationship between two things when one thing makes
should report it to the authorities because most kids
something else happen. For example, if we eat too much food
don’t tell their parents about the bullying online or
and do not exercise, we gain weight. Eating food without
offline, so this is something that parents should pay
exercising is the “cause;” weight gain is the “effect.” There may
close attention to their children’s physical and mental health and ask why they don’t want to go to school or have multiple accounts on social media.
be multiple causes and multiple effects. As youth are spending increasing time in the 24/7 online environment, there is a need to develop initiatives that engage young people and encourage help-seeking online, whilst concomitantly building the capacity of parents and peers to support their well-being.
Because cyberbullying hurts inside and out it’s important to consider in terms of mental health. References
Frejd SH. Just Between Us. 5 Ways to Stop Cyberbullying. Accessed March 28, 2021. https://justbetweenus.org/life/christianity-and-culture/5-ways-to-stop-cyberbullying/
Kwan I, Dickson K, Richardson M, MacDowall W, Burchett H, Stansfield C, Brunton G, Sutcliffe K, Thomas J. Cyberbullying and Children and Young People's Mental Health: A Systematic Map of Systematic Reviews. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2020; 23: 72-82. 10.1089/cyber.2019.0370.
