The Day the Cowboys Quit Essay Example

braver, more intimidating because the victim does not know who the p. It is also said that “Victims of bullying are often persons with low self- esteem level, seemingly shy and withdrawn…”(Dracic 217). All together there is no direct answer as to why victims are chosen, but numerous situations and reasons adolescents can be targeted by a bully. In many cases of bullying, victims are effected long term. Some instances the victim is stuck with a false reputation given to them by the bully, by calling them names, or posting untrue things about them online.

This usually causes the victims to become anti-social, or distant from other peers. Cyber-bullying can also cause victims to feel unsafe in every environment. Unlike physical bullying, bullying accomplished using technology can happen anywhere simply by hitting resend. “Youth who reported depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to report experiencing internet harassment” (Ybarra 2004).

It was also found that adolescents who are victimized may also do poorly in school because they are so withdrawn socially they do not want to attend. Victims of bullies internalise feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness resulting from victimisation experiences, they are likely to disengage from school and consequently their academic performance suffers” (Nishina, Juvonen, and Witkow, 2005). Effects of cyber bullying can also stick with a person long after the bullying has stopped. “Research shows that boys who were identified as victims of bullying in high school were four times more often convicted of at least one crime in the age of twenty four years compared to their peers who were not exposed to bullying” (Dracic 217).

There are many controversies

as to whether the government should regulate internet usage. “It has been suggested that people have a ‘right’ to peaceful use of cyber-space” (O’Connell et al. , 2004, p. 10). Though there are many laws designated to prevent cyber-bullying and protect victims. Many adolescents do not realize the amount of laws they are violating bullying a victim. Destructive harassment or “defrauding” someone of their own identity online and posting false things about the victim without permission is illegal.

Bullies also think that because they are not inflicting physical harm on the victim they are not violating laws. “Any apprehension of immediate unlawful bodily contact will be culpable as an assault ( R v Ireland [1998] AC 147) and psychiatric illnesses amount to ‘bodily harm’ for the purposes of sections 18, 20, and 47 of the Offenses Against the Person Act of 1861 (R v Chan-Fook [1994] 1 WLR 689 and R v Ireland; R v Burstow [1998] AC 147)” (Gillespie).

There are many ways to prevent cyber-bullying from occurring. The only reason that makes helping victims impossible is when an adolescent is too scared to tell someone. There are times when cyber-bullying can be overlooked, because the threats did not actually take place, or because the messages were not being received in school. “Ignoring complaints about cyber bullying because it did not happen on school grounds is not justifiable because the effects of cyber bullying are experienced in school” (Bhat 60).

Many times more action should be taken in situations when a student finally seeks help. “School policies should be focused on strategic objectives such as raising the level of awareness and

knowledge about bullying, opposition to views that bullying is normal and acceptable behavior, improve safety in the school environment, establishing the atmosphere of trust, and to support the demolition of the “rules of silence” (Dracic 217).

Altogether there are many factors that contribute in a topic as broad as cyber-bullying. The perpetrators caught bullying should be charged to educate other adolescents that it is not okay. More people need to become aware of how many laws are actually being broken in reply to bullying even if they think they are not hurting the person physically they can drive the victim to do it themselves, and they can really harm the victim mentally.