Oral 1713

Persuasive Essay
11/16/2015
Instructor: Kim Dooley
Say No to Cyber Bullying
It makes me feel bad and rather depressed. Like I dont want to be a part of this world
anymore. A 14-year-old from New York disclosed in a survey published in the journal of
adolescent health along with another teen from New Jersey who said Its torment and hurts.
They say sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That quote is
a lie and I dont believe it. these are what the victims felt when dealing with cyberbullying.
By definition, cyber bullying is the use of electronic communication to bully a person,
typically by sending messages of intimidating or threatening nature. Most frequent places that
it is seen is on social media such as facebook, twitter and instagram. In recent years, the
network public opinion gradually shows the tendency of an anomie, which is a lack of social
or moral standards in an individual or society. According to the report of Internet and
American Life Project released in 2011, there were about 69% of adult social media users
that said they had seen people on social media using malicious language towards others.
We believe that cyberbullying is a negative experience that could follow the victim from
childhood to adulthood resulting in long terms psychological issues and in order to prevent
this we need to raise awareness of the growing epidemic of cyberbullying. People don't pay
attention to their words and deeds through social networks. They dont realize that their
words could damage and destroy other peoples lives even if they had meant to target only
one person. When it is posted on a social network it can be seen by many and be spread like a
virus creating more damage to the victim at hand and not only that there is the looming

danger that once it is posted online it will never truly go away. It can leave a negative label on
the victim that can follow them throughout their life.
When it comes to the impact of cyberbullying, there isnt much difference between it
and the effects of traditional bullying. Both cause significant emotional and psychological
distress. In fact, just like any other victim of bullying, cyberbullied kids experience anxiety,
fear, depression and low self-esteem. But targets of cyberbullying also suffer from some
unique consequences and negative feelings.
Vulnerable and powerless-Victims of cyberbullying often find it difficult to feel safe.
Typically, this is because the bullying can invade their home through a computer or cell
phone at any time of day. No longer do they have a place where they can escape. To a victim,
it feels like the bullying is everywhere. Additionally, because the bullies can remain
anonymous, this can escalate feelings of fear. Kids who are targeted have no idea who is
inflicting the pain.
Exposed and Humiliated-Because cyberbullying occurs in cyberspace, the bullying often
feels permanent. Kids know that once something is out there, it will always be out there.
When cyberbullying occurs, the nasty messages or texts can be shared with multitudes of
people. The sheer volume of people that know about the bullying can lead to intense feelings
of humiliation.
Angry and Vengeful-Sometimes victims of cyberbullying will get angry about what is
happening to them. As a result, they will try to take revenge on the bully or bullies and
engage in retaliation.

Anxious and depressed-Victims of cyberbullying often succumb to anxiety, depression and

other stress-related conditions. This occurs primarily because cyberbullying erodes their selfconfidence and self-esteem.
Suicidal-Cyberbullying increases the risk of suicide. Kids that are constantly tormented by
peers through text messages, instant messaging, social media and other outlets, often begin to
feel hopeless. They may even begin to feel like the only way to escape the pain is through
suicide. As a result, they may begin to fantasize about ending their life in order to escape their
tormentors.
Megan Meier (1992 2006)
13-year-old Megan Meier hung herself in a bedroom closet in October 2006. Megan
struggled with attention deficit disorder and depression in addition to issues with her
weight. About five weeks before her death, a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans asked
Megan to be friends on MySpace. The two began communicating online regularly,
although they never met in person or spoke on the phone. Megan had a lifelong struggle
with weight and self-esteem, Tina said on the Foundation website. And now she finally
had a boy who she thought really thought she was pretty. In mid-October, Josh began
saying he didnt want to be friends anymore, and the messages became cruel on October
16, 2006, when Josh concluded by telling Megan,
The world would be a better place without you.
The cyberbullying escalated when additional classmates and friends on MySpace began
writing disturbing messages and bulletins. Megan died the following day, three weeks

before what would have been her 14th birthday. Later that fall a neighbor informed
Megans parents that Josh was not a real person. Instead, the account was created by
another neighbor, Lori Drew, her 18-year-old temporary employee Ashley Grills, and
Drews teenage daughter, who used to be friends with Megan.
Tyler Clementi (1991 2010)
It was during the summer after his high school graduation that 18-year-old Tyler Clementi
began sharing that he was gay. Clementis roommate during his freshman year at Rutgers
University, Dharun Ravi, used a webcam in September 2010 to stream footage of Clementi
kissing another man. According to the Tyler Clementi Foundation, the teenager learned
through his roommates Twitter feed that he had become a topic of ridicule in his new
social environment. On September 22, 2010, Clementi committed suicide by jumping off
the George Washington Bridge. Less than a week after Clementis death, Ravi and Molly
Wei, the friend whose computer Ravi used to spy on Clementi, were charged with invasion
of privacy.
As for the motives behind cyber bullying, the bullies are often motivated by anger,
revenge, or frustration. Sometimes they do it for entertainment or because they are bored and
have too much free time on their hands. Many do it for laughs or to get a reaction out of their
victims. And according to stopbullying.org there are two kinds of people who are likely to
bully; those who are popular and those who are on the social outskirts. Popular kids or teens
may bully because they see it as a way to stay popular or because hurting others makes them
feel powerful. While those who are not as socially inclined bully because it helps them cope
with their own low self-esteem, and they think it will help them fit in with their peers. In

general, bullies behaviors usually stems from their own problems. For example bullies tend to
have less involved parents, and tend to be depressed and suffer from anxiety. They also like
the idea that it can be done anonymously, which allows bullies to avoid facing their victims,
so it requires less courage and provides the illusion that they will never get caught. And then
there is the social pressure that deems their behavior normal and socially acceptable
especially when their peers encourages them in the acts.
In the cases of the victims they may have a hard time when dealing with the bullies and
may be responding to them which only makes things worse. According to Dr. Sameer
Hinduja and Dr. Justin W. Patchin of the Cyber Bullying Research Center advise victims to
not respond to minor teasing or name calling If they can avoid it because of the bullies
being encouraged by their reaction. They also believe that the victims should keep a record of
the messages they receive in a hard copy. This can help when needing to verify the evidence
of the bullying and can trace it back to who was behind it. Another is to reach out. Many
schools have prevention programs and a zero tolerance rule for bullying and can correspond
with local authorites to put an end to it. But we can help by simply being aware.
Cyberbullying statistics say that only 7% of parents are worried about cyberbullying even
though 33% of teens have been victims of it. Moreover, if parents are unaware that
cyberbullying is happening, they are also unaware of their childs psychological state and
could miss the signs of depression or anxiety in their children.
In conclusion, as cyber bullying intensifies, people should know that cyber bullying is
not a game, it is violence, and its more serious than most people think. For the victim, the
harm from cyber bullying is hard-to-heal. Those who perpetuate school violence are often

students who were ridiculed in the past and are now making a cycle out of the negative
influence between children. We recommend everyone in here, to think about those who are
suffering with cyber bullying, and those who have left this world from its cruelty and help us
take a stand against it. What we ask is simple, and that is to think before you type.

Citation
"Cyberbullying Statistics." InternetSafety101.org: Statistics. Enough Is Enough, n.d. Web. 18
Nov. 2015.
"Delete Cyberbullying - What to Do If You're a Victim." Delete Cyberbullying - What to Do
If You're a Victim. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

"WHY IS CYBER-BULLYING SO POPULAR." WHY IS CYBER-BULLYING SO

POPULAR. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
"The Top 6 Unforgettable Cyberbullying Cases|NoBullying|."
NoBullyingBullying CyberBullying Resources. N.p., 23 Apr. 2013. Web.
18 Nov. 2015.