Topic > The Cyberbullying Epidemic - 2628

Children are bullied by their peers every day. There has been a sharp increase in bullying cases around the world. Over the years, many forms of bullying have emerged; some forms of bullying seen most often in everyday life are cyber, physical, verbal and relational bullying. Bullying has been a persistent problem affecting all types of children, including those with physical and mental disorders. It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to properly educate and monitor children. Bullying has increased across the nation and has spread throughout the world and affects all types of people around the world. Bullying is becoming a growing problem in our school system and is significantly affecting the quality of education children receive. Many people have different definitions of bullying. In an article from the Olweus-Bullying Prevention Program it defines bullying as “a person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions by one or more other people, and has difficulty defending himself or herself ” (Olweus). This definition may seem extremely difficult to understand; in weak terms, to me bullying is when someone repeatedly taunts or bothers another person without being able to defend themselves. With all the different types of bullying, children have broadened their horizons and use all forms of bullying in one way or another. Cyberbullying, also known as electronic bullying, has become increasingly popular in the bullying world. Many people, including children and adults, use this form of bullying as a scapegoat in their real lives. Browsing the web has become a world apart for many children and adults. Kowalski and Limber (2007) state that electronic bullying is at the heart of paper ships and cyber abuse. Social Work Research, 33(2), 107-118. Roekel, E. V., Scholte, R. H. J., & Didden, R. (2010). Bullying among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: prevalence and perception. Institute of Behavioral Sciences. 40:63-73.Skapinakis, P., Bellos, S., Gkatsa, T., Magklara, K., Lewis, G., Araya, R., Stylianidis, S., & Mavreas, V. (2011). The association between bullying and early stages of suicidal ideation in late adolescence in Greece. BMC Psychiatry. 11-22. Volume Taylor, L. A., Sawyer, C., Twyman, K., & Macias, M. (2010). Adding insult to injury: Bullying experiences of youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children's Health Care, 39:59-72. Wang, J., Iannotti, R. J. & Nansel, T. R. (2009). School bullying among adolescents in the United States: Physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. Adolescent Health Journal, 45, 368-375.