Several girls that Martha goes to school with have been teasing her on social media, but the jokes are personal and hurtful. There is risk in reporting what is perceived in cyber-bullying. Because it is on social media, the messages could be grossly misinterpreted. However, not reporting can have consequences too. It would be wrong to stand by and let the girls be cruel to Martha, because cyber-bullying is wrong, bullying can lead to depression, bullying has been known to cause teenages to take their own lives.
First, cyber-bullies are people who hide behind online masks. They are cowards who hurt others to make themselves feel better. If cyber-bullying is not reported, the person behind the screen gets bolder and bolder, and will start hurting even more people. Cyber-bullying is online, so anyone can get on social media and look at what bullies said. Other people might start teasing Martha about things, or might just ignore what was happening. The girls who were teasing her might have been spreading rumors, or gossip. They are trying to make Martha feel weak and sad because they thought it would make themselves feel more powerful, and make other friends like them better. They probably think it sounds funny and are trying to impress people.
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Most kids who are bullies were bullied themselves at some point in their lives. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (nichd.nih.gov,) “NICHD research studies show that anyone involved with bullying—those who bully others, those who are bullied, and those who bully and are bullied—are at increased risk for depression.” When the girls bullied Martha, they increased her chances of depression. Kids who are cyberbullied are more likely to skip or drop out of school, get bad grades, encounter physical bullying, feel bad about themselves, use alcohol and drugs, and have other health