Cyberbullying From Playground to Computer, Essay Example

The article being summarized is entitled “Cyberbullying from Playground to Computer” and is authored by Tara Anderson and Brian Sturm. Thr first part of this article defines the problems related to cyberbullying, indicating that cyberbullying has replaced physical bullying as a primary concern with regards to the safety of children. This process is more difficult to monitor, so it is more difficult to provide bullied children with the support they need to boost their self-esteem. The authors describe that cyberbullying can occur in many contexts, such as through online forums, through texting, and through other messaging applications (Anderson & Sturm, 2007, p. 24).

The authors explain that older children are typically involved in cyberbullying, as they have a more advanced understanding of the internet. However, victims range in age and could be anyone. Ultimately, it is challenging to determine who has been a cyberbully and who has been victimized because cyberbullying activity does not always reflect in the real-life behavior of those involved. Many individuals argue that cyberbullying is worse than physical bullying, as an unfortunate side effect of cyberbullying is the tendency for the victim to become more significantly depressed than they would dealing with a physical bully and this may lead to suicide attempts (Anderson & Sturm, 2007, p. 26). Individuals who are bullied online risk the chance of others joining in on the abuse, which makes this even more difficult to bear.

The authors propose many reasonable ways for the victims to cope with cyberbullying. The most effective way of doing so is for the victim to remove him or herself from electronic devices and simply ignore the actions of the cyberbully (Anderson & Sturm, 2007, p. 27). It is important for victims to recognize that their reactions are often providing the bully motivation for abuse, and if they show that they do not care, it is more likely that the abuse will stop. To help with this process, it would be helpful for a young child being cyberbullied to report this activity to an adult that would be able to assist with this coping process. This article would be highly recommended to individuals who wish to learn more about cyberbullying in addition to methods that could be used to cope with it. Because it uses simplistic language, it is useful for individuals with varying levels of computer familiarity to understand.