Risk Factors
Recognize the risk factors and which members of our youth are more likely to be targeted by recognizing these risk factors.
Social Networking
Cyberbullying has increased with the rising popularity of social media, online chat rooms, blogs and personal websites. Youth who participate in social networking sites or post personal information on websites or blogs are more likely to be cyberbullied.
One way to prevent cyberbullying is to adjust your account settings to private to avoid unwanted visitors seeking private information.
Gender
According to the Cyberbullying studies, girls are more likely than boys to experience cyberbullying. It is observed that sexual harassment as a form of cyberbullying is common in video game culture. A recent study says that this harassment is due in part to the portrayal of women in video games.
This harassment generally involves slurs directed towards women, sex role stereotyping, and overaggressive language.
Children at Risk
Types of kids who bully others
- Kids who are well-connected to their peers, have social power, are dominating,
- Kids who are isolated, have low self esteem, be less involved in school, be easily pressured by peers, not identify with the emotions or feelings of others.
Kids who may generally get bullied
- Kids who are overweight or underweight, wearing glasses or different clothing, kids new to a school etc.,
- Kids perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves
- Kids who are depressed, anxious, or have low self esteem
- Kids who are less popular than others and have few friends
- Kids who do not get along well with others, seen as annoying or provoking
The power imbalance can come from a number of sources—popularity, strength, cognitive ability—and children who bully may have more than one of these characteristics.
Negative effects of Cyberbullying
- Emotional distress: anger, frustration, embarrassment, sadness, fear, depression
- Interference with school work or job performance
- Quit job, drop out or switch schools
- Delinquency and violence
- Substance abuse
- Possession of weapons on school grounds
- Suicide