A new form of harassment called cyberbullying is taking over schools, and destroying lives. Cyberbullying has become more common now and affects people of all ages; especially, those who are still adolescent. Their young age makes them more susceptible to the effects of bullying. Cyberbullying is not something to aspire to, or be envious of; it is brutal by many definitions, and has an ample amount of data to represent threatening effects from it. Prevention is a must in order to avoid any mistreatment of our students. This paper will cover information on cyberbullying and what can be done in order to put a stop to …show more content…
The sad part is students are not aware of the amount of support available to them such as their parents, guidance counselors, or even confiding in their teachers. Slonje and Smith also note that most cyber victims choose not to tell anyone what is happening to them. Many victims are embarrassed and some even believe that it is their own fault that they are being bullied. They also believe that nobody could possibly understand what they are going through (Slonje & Smith, 2007). This causes students to deal with the bullying on their own. Many believe that suicide is the only way to stop the other person from bothering them. Hunduia and Patchlin agree that cyber bullying is directly linked to suicide among teenagers. Not only do the victims have suicidal thoughts, but sometimes the bully does as well. Researchers believe it is just as important to pay attention to those with suicidal ideation, because although it does not always progress to suicidal behavior, it is an important warning sign, just as depression and anxiety are (Hunduia & Patchlin,