Due to the development and popularity of new technologies, and in particular of social networks and chat rooms, many cases of this type of harassment occur through the so-called cyberbullying. Statistically, one in four cases of bullying is cyberbullying. But what is cyberbullying? By definition, according to the government department, it is “any form of physical, psychological, verbal, sexual or social abuse that occurs through the use of digital media (typically cell phones, internet or online video games), being this generally carried out between peers, systematically and repeatedly over time, with the intention of causing harm and taking advantage of an imbalance of power”. According to data from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training’s School Bullying Hotline, 30% of bullying takes place between the ages of 11 and 13. In recent years, this threat has spread like an epidemic in the school environment and is the burden that many children carry in silence. Undoubtedly the main problem raised when talking about cyberbullying is that it is the only type of aggression that also occurs outside the classroom; which generates in the victims much more stress, isolation, anxiety, depression … even reaching in some cases, even suicide. The fear of “denouncing”, the law of silence, the lack of communication or the shame faced by our children, are the main factors for the lack of knowledge of cyberbullying; but according to studies, 90% of children have witnessed this type of bullying at some point in their school and 30% have been involved, either as a victim or as an aggressor. Of course, the “subject matter” of this cyberbullying evolves with age, being in school directed at the one who is physically different (the one who wears glasses, is chubby, etc.), and yet in high school it is a matter of personality and character (if he/she is shy, for example).
How to detect cyberbullying?
Sometimes going out and going to school is not an easy task for some children. There have always been quarrels between children, but nowadays the saying “if you don’t know it, it doesn’t exist” applies; however, and unfortunately, cyberbullying is real. There are some signs that can alert us that a child is being bullied:
- Makes excuses every day to go to school.
- Refuses to attend school.
- Decreased school performance is common.
- He is isolated and unmotivated.
Extortion, harassment, harassment, insults, social isolation… In the fight against this social problem, we are all involved and responsible. Anyone who knows of a case has a moral obligation to intervene in some way, we must do what we can to prevent the suffering of a minor. Always. “Often, the right path is the one that can be the hardest to follow. But the hard road is also the one that will make us grow as a human being.” Karen Mueller Coombs.
Testimonial
“It happened so many years ago that I can hardly remember… When I was a teenager I thought there was no such thing as “cyberbullying“, in my time there were hardly any touch phones or social networks like now. I didn’t know what “grooming” or “sexting” was, I didn’t know how people’s opinions could influence others; I didn’t know it until I had it in front of me, staring me in the face and I didn’t know how to escape. Surely, and not proudly, we can all say that we know someone who was called four eyes or who was picked on for their physique or for wearing braces in school or high school. Although the worst thing is that almost no one tells that there are threats and social isolation for those who suffer from it. Nobody tells that there is a girl who has to change school or a boy who decides to take his own life. But they also exist, and that is why I have decided to tell my story. It is embarrassing to tell a story that you have decided to forget, but I want to believe that it is for the good of many. Like all teenagers in high school, we were forming as people, we could still change our personalities if we wanted to, and we all wanted to have a group of friends to belong to, we wanted to grow up, we wanted to be liked… and that was the problem. I came from a school and a world where equality was sought through a uniform and rules; and, without wanting to be, I was targeted by the smart, handsome, athletic boy in high school. Obviously if I tell this story it’s because it got out of hand. At that time I had no malice, I don’t think they taught me what that was… That’s why I didn’t think someone could be so mean as to threaten a 15 year old girl with telling sexual lies and spreading them through social networks. He was a very nice, smart, sporty kid. We were put together because of a job we were supposed to do, and we did it. We had time to get to know each other and yes, I trusted him. I shouldn’t have. One day he tried to kiss me, I didn’t want to and that pissed him off. But what he didn’t know was that I had recorded it and he took pictures of the video in which it seemed, with a good story based on a lie, something that didn’t really happen. Threats started in exchange for not spreading those pictures. I don’t really remember how it happened, or for how long, I just didn’t want it to get out. I managed to get out of that loop, one day she just stopped threatening me and I guess she would go with someone else. I felt sorry for her. It was something brief and based on a lie, but I once heard that a lie a thousand times repeated, can become the truth. My story may not reach you, it may not have conveyed the anguish of being alone, of not being able to escape from a problem; but I assure you it is not pleasant. Let’s not let the younger ones feel alone in these situations, no one should nurture such attitudes.
