Bullying and Cyberbullying

By Jayel Compton

It is important to recognize bullying and cyberbullying because people either don't care about the situation or they don't want to do anything that will get themselves involved in the situation.

What is Bullying and Cyberbullying?

Bullying happens repeatedly for a long amount of time. People know who the bully is, but don’t know when the bullying will end. Some people decide to ignore the bullying or be part of the bullying because they don't want anything to do with the situation if they decided to help.

There are three kinds of bullying:physical bullying, verbal bullying, and relational bullying.

Cyberbullying hides a person’s identity and bully anytime. Cyberbullying can be worse than bullying because it isnt face-to-face. Cyberbullying could be a lot worse because cyberbullies are able to post mean things about people and spread rumors online and share it with others. 41% of people said cyberbullying made them feel depressed, and 41% said it made them feel helpless. People who don't know what to do about the bullying sometimes shut down their social media accounts.

Why might people Bully and Cyberbully?

People might bully because they have their own problems that they don’t want to solve so they take that out on someone else. They might bully because they deal with things at home, they don’t know how to deal with their anger and they might bully because they just want to start problems for fun. Sometimes the bully may have had their own bullying experience and want to take that out on other kids. People might cyberbully because they find it as a way to stay "popular" and they feel better about themselves when they make someone else look weak.

What are the effects of Bullying and Cyberbullying?

Bullying and Cyberbullying can affect everyone—those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. The student can feel anxious. The student can feel depressed. A student may feel suicidal because they feel like it's never going to end. Sometimes this can make the student feel mentally ill or very sick because they get worried so much. They also feel lonely because nobody is helping them. Kids who are bullies are more likely to engage in violent actions and behaviors into adulthood.