Real life examples of Cyberbullying in schools

Examples of cyberbullying in schools

 Cyberbullying has become a significant issue in schools, affecting students’ mental health and academic performance. Here are some real-life examples that illustrate the various forms of cyberbullying that can occur in school settings:

1. Harassment via Text Messages and Social Media A student named Joseph faced harassment from three of his classmates who sent him text messages blaming him for their failing assignment. They told him he did not know how to do assignment and how to cite. This made Gideon feel isolated and afraid to report the bullying to his lectures. As a result, he tolerated this behaviour throughout the first semester and ultimately decided not to return to their group the next semester.

2. Exclusion from Social Circles Mike, another student on a hockey team, actively worked to exclude Sarah, the only girl on the team, by convincing other teammates to unfriend her on Facebook. This act of social exclusion deeply upset Sarah, leading her to consider quitting hockey altogether due to the emotional distress caused by her peers.

3. Sharing Embarrassing Photos: During the school festival, one student took an embarrassing photo of a girl he met at the gate of the campus and posted it on Tik-Tok and at all campus groups on WhatsApp. This action led to widespread humiliation for the girl as the photo circulated among her peers.

4. Creating Degrading Websites: At the beginning of one season, a player who was upset about not being named captain created a degrading website targeting another player. The site contained insults and invited visitors to post negative comments about that player’s performance throughout the season.

5. Online Gaming Abuse: Terry bullied another player during online gaming sessions by sending threatening messages and attacking him within the game itself. Although Terry later apologized and invited this player to join him in another game, he continued his aggressive behaviour online, leading the targeted player to feel even worse about himself and withdraw from both gaming and his hockey team.

6. Impersonation and Spreading Rumours: In one instance, two players accessed their coach’s email account without permission and sent a message falsely informing another teammate that he had been released from the team due to poor performance. This act not only spread misinformation but also damaged trust within the team.

7. Doxing: A group of parents unhappy with their child’s coach’s policies created false videos depicting him negatively and shared them online along with personal information about him. This form of doxing aimed at damaging his reputation led him to resign from his coaching position due to stress caused by these actions.

These examples highlight how cyberbullying can manifest in various forms such as harassment through texts or social media, exclusion from peer groups, sharing embarrassing content without consent, impersonation for malicious purposes, and spreading harmful rumours or misinformation.

The impact of these actions can be severe for victims, leading them to experience feelings of isolation, depression, anxiety, or even suicidal thoughts as seen in tragic cases like those of Amanda Todd and Ryan Halligan.

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Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used:

1. StopBullying.gov This is a government website providing comprehensive resources on bullying prevention strategies including definitions of cyberbullying and statistics related to its prevalence among youth.

2. Cyberbullying Research Center This organization conducts research specifically focused on cyberbullying among youth populations; it provides data-driven insights into victimization rates and types of cyberbullying behaviours observed in schools.

3. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center PACER offers educational resources aimed at preventing bullying through awareness campaigns; they provide tools for students, parents, educators, and communities regarding bullying prevention strategies including those specific to cyberbullying scenarios.

References

Bochaver, A. A., & Khlomov, K. D. (2019). Cyberbullying: Exclusion from Social Circles. Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 11(3), 177-191.

Bochaver, A. A., & Khlomov, K. D. (2023). Cyberbullying: bullying in the space of modern technologies. Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 11(3), 177-191.