Online Bullying: The Side of It You Don't Know
23
Comments
A new study from Finland's Turku University found that -- no big surprise here -- teens ages 13 through 16 who had been victims of cyber bullying reported feeling emotionally distressed, trouble concentrating, headaches and stomach pains, as well as problems sleeping. This all seems pretty obvious to us, but the zinger that caught our attention is that the people doing the bullying also reported many of the same symptoms as their victims, plus more like substance abuse and behavior problems. These findings show that people spreading hate cause just as much harm to themselves as their targets.
Three years ago, 34 percent of teens said they were victims of online attacks and 20 percent admitted to causing the problems. The National Crime Prevention Council also addresses another worrisome fact -- besides the physical symptoms associated with online bullying, the attacks eliminate the security that teens feel at home because they can come from anywhere and spread so quickly.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
savannah Jul 7th 2010 5:48PM
It hurts when people are mean.I was mean to a girl at my school online and
I got in trouble.My school had no bulling for a week and that still didn't help
ANDY Jul 11th 2010 9:18PM
BULLIES bully because they can. VICTIMS of bullying allow themselves to be victimized needlessly, and rather than standing up to the bully they in-turn begin bullying others that are usually weaker than themselves, and this they do to regain some form of control over their pathetic lack of will to respond to those that they are afraid of.
So, what do we conclude from this evil begetting evil social phenomenon ?
The MONSTER is inside all of us, and it stands to reason that we not only prepare to fight those who attempt to impose their will on us, but we must also be fighting the good fight of keeping ourselves in check just as vigilantly; but what practical steps to do we take to ensure we prevail ?
"As a man thinketh so is he" the greatest prophet that ever lived decalred, so if we empower ourselves with the putting on of God's armor; encouraging ourselves in the principles of courage mixed with self-restraint, topping that with the exercise of the body so that we do not appear as easy targets for every control freak that lurks just around the corner, this will stop bullying in it's tracks !
"AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY "
Marion Jul 11th 2010 10:47PM
I don't get your reference to "every control freak lurking around the corner" who were you talking about? And the last reference to "an armed society is a polite society" something tells me the only thing missing in your message is...drill baby drill.
cheaperbird8 Jul 12th 2010 5:14PM
the real problem is; we users are forced to communicate with adults/non/adults,about everything,because the internet inventors haven't done their job to segregate the two...which causes anxiety-arguements-confusion-anger-...so many times i have been confronted by a nasty over done criticism,that most adults wouldn't do...so for the most part..it had to be a child,someone who did not have adult reasoning skill development yet...if you could know before hand sho you wre talking too,or who responded to your comment you could have better handle on the situation...!...these kids ly about their age to get on some adult sites and thet the sht really flies..!...internet bullying ..is a joke...the law makers who enacted it...should be hanged in public..!
alexander245698 Jul 12th 2010 3:29AM
Right, because adults are NEVER childish in their comments.
Here's another absolute: whenever I check out these kinds of sites, I find that none of the adults have the patience to sit down and type with patience...and proper grammar.
If anything, your comment seems childish simply because of its tone. You seem as if you are ranting about nothing in particular (in fact, you are, as you somehow switch your opinion mid-sentence once you stated that is a joke; when you began the post with your opinion that children and adults should be sparated on the internet) and trying to get a rise out of people.
In Internetspeak, this is called "trolling".
You, sir, are a troll.
With regards,
A Teen
P.S.: See how I stated my opinion logically and in a civil manner? You could stand to learn a few things from teenagers. Like how the "internet inventors" aren't actually in control over the internet.
jorgebrito2 Jul 11th 2010 9:47PM
People are so disrespectful in every way. It could be online, text messaging, in person, in paper, verbal and physical. Bullying needs to stop. Nobody deserves to be bullied. It is a lack of respect and also abusive.
jecz10 Jul 16th 2010 8:33PM
Alexander, you are so right! i mean you sound just like my sister... Shes always telling me to have the correct proopper grammer! I also agree VERY much!!!!!! Everyone out there needs to listen to alexander! He or she has a wonderful point..! lol im sorry that i have no idea if this Alexander is a boy or a girl... I know a lot of Alexanders, boy and girls.
jecz10 Jul 16th 2010 8:32PM
You could not be more right!!!!! I respect you already. See people, all i did was read that little comment and i got so much out of it...!(:)
jorgebrito2 Jul 11th 2010 9:51PM
Bullying is abusive and it needs to stop. There is no excuse for bullying anyone, weather it is online, text messaging, in person, verbal, physical, emotional, or written in paper. It is unacceptable.
blackmoonboogie Jul 11th 2010 10:43PM
very simple , you get caught bullying, you are BANNED FROM THE INTERNET FOR LIFE. if it can be enforced , it might do the trick. you don't like it? DON'T DO STUPID S#$T!
Oracle Jul 11th 2010 10:57PM
Hurt people hurt people.
Oracle Jul 11th 2010 10:59PM
Hurt people hurt people.
dollhouserose Jul 11th 2010 11:22PM
Teenagers are not the only ones bullying. I have been the victim on some mild online bully on FB for the last few months. Some women never grow up and allow others to manipulate them !!
jaguignon Jul 11th 2010 11:57PM
When someone writes a comment that bullys a comment that I have made; I just let them know that they don't have to be a lifeform lower than a microbe, to give a decent comment! I also tell them I don't have time for this kind of crap and I am reporting them to the carrier. I have had people react in all kinds of strange ways. Some get even more angry and spit more venom, but most apologise and sign off.
Georgia Jul 12th 2010 3:13AM
Hurt people hurt people? well thats just an dispicable excuse isn't it.
I was abused in my childhood, but I dont bully because I know how it feels.
Its like blaming people endlessly for slavery and saying that people should continue to hurt people because of it. IT never ENDS because a person doesnt want it to.
ReservedLady Jul 12th 2010 1:12AM
I learned a couple of decades ago that whatever you write on the internet you cannot remove; it bounces around from one computer to another, one network to another and one country to another. This is why they call the internet the "world wide web". I have been bullied on internet but I never believed any bullying anyone because it is so permanent which can't ever be removed and gets in the hands of strangers all over the world. If I bully someone by internet, I would feel like I am lowering myself to the level of a bully, which I don't want to do to myself; I would much rather take the bull by the horns by dealing with a bully in court. Besides, identity theft is a huge problem in this world and is often done by internet. It is wise to really think first, before you email or blog about anyone on the internet. If you are not careful, you could feel very sorry later and end up paying a huge price legally.
SkyBlue Jul 12th 2010 2:39AM
Bullying online is anonymous, or so the bully believes. The thrill of tormenting someone (either known to the bully or not) and "getting away with it" is what eggs him/her on.
kat Jul 12th 2010 4:14AM
Although I am not a kid, (I'm 63 now) I was relentlessly tortured by a bully online. There is a chat room I go to, and have for the last 10 years, just a small group of friends. This new person began to come in and was rude and cruel to several us. When "IT" started up we ignored it. Well, 7 years ago my 38 year old daughter sudden;t died of a heart attack. Of course all my room friends were supportive and loving. Except this "IT" named LeRaquin...anyhow, "IT" proceeded to laugh about her death, called me a murderer, and had the nerve to say I was faking it....it broke my heart....so bullying doesn't just happen to teens....but back then when reporting these types of bully's nothing was really done. So every age has to be watchful of these creeps.
vicvod Jul 12th 2010 6:58AM
I have one word to say, DELETE!
Caresaboutpeople Jul 12th 2010 6:39PM
Cyberbullying is a major problem. In some ways it can be even worse than being bullied at school. You have a group of cowards get online and some of the attacks are brutal. Heck, people have committed suicide over it and why the government won't do something is beyond me. There is a company in California called Topix that has forums in every city and town in America and many of those forums are just brutal. They don't require registration and the forums are unmoderated basically. This means anyone can go in and attack and it goes out immediately. It is an awful company. What kind of company doesn't approve its messages before it goes out over the internet. Libel is a crime and yet being are being libeled every second of the day and this company refuses to do anything about the cyberbullying.