The Aftermath of Cyberbullying

By Apoorva Khandelwal

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Have you ever thought about the effects of cyberbullying on someone? Everybody nowadays has phones including children to communicate with others. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that is done online by sending things such as threats. Cyberbullying is common to teenagers. 

Some children feel vulnerabile. Bullying can happen anywhere from school to home but it is clear who hurts them. The person that bullies people online has a choice to stay anonymous, leading the child (the [person being bullied) nowhere to hide. 

They might also have a disinterest in school. If a picture of them gets leaked the teenager would be embarrassed by facing peers at school. This makes it harder for them to perform well at school as they can not focus, which leads to low grades. 

Kids start to lose hope in themselves after being attacked several times on social media. In rare cases, the children may experience suicidal ideation. This can be from detailed to brief plans of suicide. Recent statistics show that 3% of victims reported an attempt of suicide as a direct result of cyber bullying.

Now you may be wondering how you can comfort your friend who is facing cyberbullying. There are many ways you can help. One way is contacting the school about what’s going on. If you feel uncomfortable with that, send a parent an anonymous letter. Ask your friend what they need and how you can help them. Make sure you also tell them you are always there for them.  Remind them that they are wanted and that they don’t deserve what’s going on with them. Another important thing you should definitely do is screenshot what the bullier is typing/saying to show as proof. 

Cyberbullying is harsh because you are not sure who the person is and it may take you a while to figure out. Always make sure to have evidence of what's going on and contact an adult.

References:

“Effects of Cyber Bullying.” Effects of Cyberbullying - Family Lives, www.bullying.co.uk/cyberbullying/effects-of-cyberbullying/.

Team, The Bark. “Effects Of Cyberbullying On Children.” Bark, 29 May 2020, www.bark.us/blog/impact-cyberbullying-children/.

“You Think Someone You Know Is Being Cyberbullied.” Public Safety Canada / Sécurité Publique Canada, 4 Oct. 2018, www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cbr-scrt/cbrbllng/tns/smn-bng-cbrblld-en.aspx.