Sticks and Stones: The New Face of Bullying

As children, we are taught that “sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never hurt us.” A reassuring and catchy motto, this helped many of us through difficult playground days, when teasing and being picked last for the kickball game brought tears to our eyes. More recently, however, bullying has taken on a new form. With the countless technological advancements that we witness every day, our lives become intertwined with and dependent on resources like Google, Wikipedia, and the infinite amount of applications available at the touch of our fingertips. In addition to these developments, social networking has come to play a vast role in our lives. Instead of phone calls and dinner parties, we have private messages and status updates. Everything has become more accessible to everyone. 

The internet is unable to discern for itself who is using it for education and communication and who may be using it for less ethically driven motives. Bullying has transformed from shouts and shoves to typed words available for seemingly the whole world to see. There is a common warning among this generation that once something is on the internet, it never goes away. And while this may not be necessarily true, the scars that are inflicted by cyberbullying are indeed, permanent. With this newfound platform, modern bullying has escalated into something terrifying and controversial. While children have taken their own lives over the relentless online taunting, people across the country are conflicted as to what kinds of measures need to be taken to solve this problem. Surely, a law can be established that prevents this from occurring, or can it? Does it matter whether our children are being harassed in the halls of their school or in their homes? Is this a violation of an amendment that we pride ourselves on protecting every day? While there may not be any one correct answer, the fact of the matter is simple, it needs to end. Cyberbullying has had a tremendous impact on our youth, and new lengths must be met to prevent this from escalating even more.

As news stories continue to develop about teenagers and adolescents struggling with the effects of bullying online, people continue to dismiss the problem. As Richard Donegan discusses in his article, recognition of and education about this issue are vital to finding a solution. “Many people, whether parents, teachers, or even law enforcement officers, do not know what their specific state laws are in regard to cyber bullying” (Donegan (39). He supports this statement with an overwhelming statistic; in a recent survey of over 1,000 officers, 25 percent of the school resource officers and over 40 percent of the traditional law enforcement officers surveyed “did not know if their state had a law specific to cyber bullying” (39). Why do we face this problem? Over the last several months, headlines have screamed out to the public for awareness. Teenagers across the globe are committing suicide due to alleged harassment and bullying online. Is this truly an issue of not knowing, or is it possible that maybe we just don’t want to know?

As mentioned in Donegan’s writing, many states do have anti-bullying statutes. In a 2011 analysis of these laws, the Department of Education regarded bullying in schools as having “become widely viewed as an urgent social, health, and education concern that has moved to the forefront of public debate on school legislation and policy” (Stuart-Cassell, Bell, Springer ix). However, when you eventually find the state definitions of and laws prohibiting cyberbullying, you begin to see the problem. Of the many states that do enforce these laws, the definitions of cyberbullying are incredibly vague. In addition to this, every state seemingly has a different definition and many of them do not address cyberbullying at all, only specific acts occurring on school property. For example, in Nevada, the term addressed is “Electronic Abuse” (151) and the definition reads: “Bullying means any ongoing pattern of physical, verbal, or electronic abuse” (151). Unfortunately, “electronic abuse” is not defined, and with the incorporation of the word “pattern” one would assume that this has to be a relatively frequent and recurring incident. The ambiguity of this language leaves quite a bit of room for loopholes and lawsuits. Understanding the devastating effects that cyberbullying has on our youth is crucial. However, if the federal government cannot regulate it, and the states struggle to define it, what can be done? 

An in-depth look at the pervasive consequences of cyberbullying is necessary to bring awareness to this issue. In a research study reported in The Journal of Adolescent Health, the authors found that out of the 150 students surveyed, the “majority of female students indicated that cyberbullying was a problem at their schools” (Agatston, Kowalski, Limber s60). They also reported that students were more likely to report incidences of bullying to their parents rather than school authority, as they “did not think the adults at school could help them if they were experiencing cyberbullying” (s60). This statistic, although derived from a very small group of students, further exacerbates the need for anti-bullying statutes specific to online activity, and that can be enforced outside of a school district. Bullying knows no bounds, and on school property is only one place that it can happen. Laws must be developed to stop this epidemic in its tracks.

To better illustrate the difference between cyberbullying and other face-to-face forms of harassment, we need to understand the power of social networking. While this is not the only online method of bullying, it is quite possibly the most detrimental. When an adolescent is picked on in school, those around that student witness it, they may tell their friends, but that is a fairly small sphere. When something is posted on Facebook, MySpace, or similar websites, potentially thousands if not more can see it. Whether an embarrassing picture or words that cut like knives; friends, family, strangers, all have access to this. People rely on their online presence for much of their social interaction today, and when that is tarnished, it can be devastating. After growing up with bullying, 14-year old Hannah Smith from Lutterworth, England took her own life, her father brought to light the torment that Hannah struggled with as a result of using the website Ask.fm (Lenhart). Hannah’s death, was only the most recent, in fact, according to Business Week among other sources, nine teenage suicides have occurred after alleged bullying on the website (Edwards). This number is nearly incomprehensible. After Hannah Smith passed away, people from all around the world reeled with sadness and fear. She was a victim to something seemingly uncontrollable, and inherently dangerous.

In 2011, the Pew Research Center performed a survey called the “Internet & American Life Teen-Parent Survey” in which a number of questions were asked regarding experiences on the internet. The following infographic details their findings:

(Figure omitted for preview. Available via download)

While there is positive information to be found here, it should be taken seriously that 20 percent of teens surveyed felt that people were mostly unkind on social networking sites. Also, outside of this chart, 19 percent of the teens surveyed said that they “experienced bullying either on or offline in the past year” (Lenhart). While these numbers are not the majority, they are far too high to be accepted as what is “normal”.

In contrast to the findings from the Pew Research Center, in 2004 the National i-Safe Survey produced astonishing results. 57 percent of students surveyed said that “someone had said hurtful or angry things to them online” (Keith Martin 225). In addition to this, 35 percent said that they have been threatened online, 42 percent bullied online, and 58 percent have not told their parents or authorities about this (226). While the numbers vary from source to source, one fact remains unchanged; cyberbullying is real, it is harmful, and it needs to be acknowledged. Youth do not have the feeling of safety that they once did. With the internet and cell phone usage, we opened a whole new world to explore, but also created more avenues for wrongdoing. As Susan Keith and Michelle E. Martin write: “Traditionally, home was a place where a kid could go to escape his bully. With advances in technology, home is no longer a haven” (226). 

As technology continues to develop, and our world becomes more reliant on all that it has to offer, we too must adapt to these changes. In doing this, we must recognize that things have indeed, changed. Raising awareness of this problem is the first step. The consequences are far too dire to let this continue. According to an article written by Marilyn Campbell, while the mental health consequences of cyberbullying have yet to be researched, the effects of face to face bullying are vast. From “increased levels of depression, anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms in victims” to “[feeling] more socially ineffective and [having] greater interpersonal difficulties” (71), the list continues. This is not the kind of social experience that we want our children to grow up with. These are not the kinds of issues that they need to be facing. 

The numbers are there, and the unfortunate loss of lives has occurred. We have all at some point witnessed a form of bullying or harassment online. Celebrities being attacked for gaining weight, being judged for their personal choices. High school and middle school students desperately reaching out through YouTube videos and cryptic Facebook statuses. We have seen it, and often, we do not fully acknowledge what is happening. As a society that relies on technology, we must move progress socially as well. People should be held accountable for their actions; the internet is too easy to hide behind. New state statutes and federal laws need to be introduced to help our youth to move forward from this trend. The rules need to be specific, detailed, and thorough. They are not put in place to hinder our constitutional rights, but rather to protect the future generations that will be upholding them. All too often are children shunned for being different, teenagers losing their self-esteem. It can be prevented. It must be prevented. 

The archaic ideas that people have about bullying need to be set aside to make room for the cyberbully. As Campbell explains; “Some people hold that bullying is a childhood rite of passage, that it is a normal part of growing up” (72). This method of thinking is askew and outdated. We have all seen the movies with the schoolyard bully, and we laugh and cheer when the victim gets his revenge; a large part of the problem with cyberbullying however, is that often, the child does not know who their assailant is. Avatars, monikers, false profiles, all of these further fuel the power of the cyberbully. Another part of this problem is the technological generation gap between adolescents and their parents. Often, the parents may not understand the magnitude of this issue. As one article explains: “Cyber-bullying is practically subterranean because it lives in the world of young people” (Keith Martin 226).  Furthermore, “Kids know there is a gap in the understanding of technology between themselves and their parents, and their fear is not only that the parents’ response may make the bullying worse, but that the adults will take the technology away” (226).

At this point, a legal solution seems a far reach. We can only hope that this newfound method of bullying is tempered through awareness and vigilance. Lives like those of Hannah Smith should never have been lost, and the youth of our time should not have to fear social isolation as a result of a webpage. Times are changing, constantly, and we need to accept this and move in the same direction. When people cross the boundaries between right and wrong, and when children are thrown into a new and often frightening scenario, people need to be held accountable. Something needs to be put into place to ensure the safety and well-being of all people, especially the youth, and we need to now understand that safety is not always a physical reference. Violence, danger, and hatred have taken on many forms in the past, and now we must prepare ourselves to combat a new one.

Works Cited

Agatston, Patricia, Robin Kowalski, and Susan Limber. "Students Perspectives On Cyber Bullying." Journal of Adolescent Health 41.6 (2007): S59-S60. Print.

Campbell, Marilyn A. "Cyber Bullying: An Old Problem In A New Guise?." Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling 15.1 (2005): 68-76. Print.

Donegan, Richard. "Bullying and Cyberbullying: History, Statistics, Law, Prevention and Analysis." The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 3.1 (2012): 33-42. Print.

Edwards, Jim. "Ask.fm And Teen Suicides - Business Insider." Business Insider. N.p., 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.businessinsider.com/askfm-and-teen-suicides-2013-9>.

Keith, Susan , and Michelle E.  Martin. "Cyber-Bullying: Creating a Culture of Respect in a Cyber World." Reclaiming Children and Youth 13.4 (2005): 224-228. Print.

Lenhart, Amanda. "British teen’s suicide puts cyber-bullying back in spotlight | Pew Research Center." Pew Research Center | Nonpartisan, non-advocacy public opinion polling and demographic research. N.p., 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/08/21/british-teens-suicide-puts-cyber-bullying-back-in-spotlight/>.

U.S. Department of Education. Analysis of State Bullying Laws and Policies. By Victoria Stuart-Cassel, Ariana Bell, and J. Fred Springer. EMT Associates Incorporated. Folsom, California. 2011.