Bullying by Mathangi Subramanian

Author:Mathangi Subramanian [Subramanian, Mathangi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2014-03-11T04:00:00+00:00

Another question is whether cyberbullying should be considered a criminal offense. Some argue that jailing cyberbullies illustrates that cyberbullying is a serious offense, a message that is particularly important given how many teens believe that it is humorous rather than harmful. Supporters say that knowing the possibility of incarceration exists will stop teens from engaging in this negative behavior. Critics of criminalization say that cyberbullying is symptomatic of deeper biases such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Sending young people to jail for cyberbullying could ruin their future, but it will not solve the problem, nor will it address the underlying causes of bullying. Some also argue that cyberbullies have deeper psychological problems that need to be addressed, such as anger management issues or a lack of social skills. Prison does not address these problems, they say, and therefore is not an effective solution.

The debate about the role of the criminal justice system in cyberbullying became especially heated after the case of Tyler Clementi, an eighteen-year-old freshman at Rutgers University, who committed suicide after his roommate, Dharun Ravi, used social media to broadcast Clementi’s romantic encounter with another man. Read more about Tyler Clementi on page 102.

Another question is what should be done once cyberbullying is reported. Should the authorities be allowed to search students’ e-mails and text messages? Or are these invasions of privacy and violations of our right to free speech? In fact, one of the biggest challenges addressing lawmakers is how to balance protecting teens’ right to privacy and their right to safety from harassment.22 Additionally, questions remain about how much responsibility companies that create social media platforms should take for preventing or reacting to cyberbullying. Social networking platforms such as Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/help), Twitter (https://support.twitter.com/articles/15794 -abusive-behavior), YouTube (http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/request .py?contact_type=abuse), and Formspring.me all have pages that explain what electronic abuse looks like and how to report it. Some of these platforms are responsive, taking down content immediately after it is flagged. Others are not responsive at all.

Some corporations have taken an active role in preventing cyberbullying. One of these is MTV, which created the “A Thin Line” campaign to raise awareness about the effects of cyberbullying and digital dating violence, and to help teens protect themselves and their privacy. The site also has opportunities for teens to post the actions they have taken to prevent cyberbullying, and hosts contests for teen-produced content designed to raise awareness about this important issue. To find out more, check out www.athinline.org.

What to Do If You Are Cyberbullied

In some ways, reacting to cyberbullying is similar to reacting to any kind of bullying. Just as in face-to-face bullying, your first step should be to talk to a trusted adult who can help you make the harassment stop and navigate the aftereffects. However, cyberbullying also requires specific actions that are different than those utilized in other kinds of bullying.

If you are being cyberbullied, do not respond.23 This is for your own protection: you are in a much better position when you report the harassment if you have not acted abusively or tried to engage the bully in conversation.

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