Social Harassment In Cyberbullying Cases

“Think before you click.” This is probably one of the most famous lines netizens encounter whenever an online page exposes a cyberbullying case that eventually leads to a victim’s depression or suicide. Different organization campaigning against cyberbullying use this as their statement to elicit awareness to the seemingly rampant exchange of libelous statements throughout the internet. However, campaigns are not efficient in preventing these cases from happening again. Due to the online world’s distracting environment, these campaigns can easily be forgotten.

The creation of Social Networking Sites or SNS is made possible by our dynamic technological advances. In the past decades, this invention helped us to communicate easily through simple

This is because of the new generation’s shift of entertainment preference. This type of bullying occurs when both victim and committer are minors. However, it is necessary to know that it is different from the term cyber-harassment which is a legal offense usually committed by adults. Cyber-harassments are punishable by certain laws (as cited in What is cyberbullying?, 2011). Furthermore, cyberbullying is different from traditional bullying. Cyberbullying offenses are hard to investigate because the internet guarantees the anonymity of the perpetrators unlike traditional bullying wherein there is a face-to-face interaction. Nevertheless, both humiliates and degrades victims (“Cyberbullying VS Traditional,” 2013). Hinduja and Patchin (2014) stated that cyberbullying is defined as the “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices” (p. 2) to defame someone. Principally, this refers to instances where technology is used to spread hate speech and threats. Gonzales (2014) adds that its distinct characteristic from traditional bullying which involves direct confrontation is that it utilizes all possible communication advances to throw libelous statements frequently (as cited in Chait, 2006). But where do these cases

Nixon (2014) noted that cyberbullying brings physical illnesses or psychosomatic difficulties which is supported by Kowalski and Limber’s 2013 study that concluded that victims, as well as the cyberbullies, suffered from insomnia and poor appetite. As cited by the Live Science Staff (2010), a study of Andre Sourander in Finland stated that some physical manifestations of cyberbullying are difficulties in handling emotions, impulsive behavior and insomnia. Another common physical illness, according to Mann (2010), suffered by the victim is headache. This is due to the victim’s irregular sleeping patterns brought by depression and insomnia. These manifestations affect their grades on schools as well as their capability in doing simple tasks. Studies found out that some cases eventually lead to mental health