Cyber Bullying and Teens

By Samareia Moton

As a scholar who has personally been affected by this, I will tell you it's not easy. I have been bullied since about 6th grade. I didn't have much growing up. My mom is a single mom with two kids, so she tried to do her best. I was mostly bullied about my clothes and my body…I wasn't everyone's cup of tea or perfect picture there's points in my life now where people still talk. Bullying has affected me so much that I've stopped coming to school, I isolated myself and became very depressed. Bullying for me lasted up until now which is my senior year. It was super hard to deal with. I do feel I was affected long term by this issue. I suffer from depression, insecurity issues, and self-doubt. There are plenty of types of bullying such as cyber, racial, social, verbal, etc. StopBullying.gov states “bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.”

Many people skip past cyber bullying because they think it happens less. All types of bullying should get attention. I researched cyber bullying on a website called cyberbullying.org and it states that in 2023 “Approximately 55% of the students reported that they experienced cyberbullying at some point in their lifetimes. About 27% said they had been cyberbullied in the most recent 30 days. When asked about specific types of cyberbullying experienced in the previous 30 days, mean or hurtful comments posted online (30.4%), exclusion from group chats (28.9%), rumors spread online (28.4%), and someone embarrassing or humiliating them online (26.9%) were the most reported. Forty-four percent of the sample reported being cyberbullied in one or more of the eighteen specific types reported, two or more times over the course of the previous 30 days.” Parents, school staff, and other caring adults can help stop and prevent bullying. StopBullying.gov says they can “Help kids understand bullying. Talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help. Keep the lines of communication open. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns. Encourage kids to do what they love. Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from bullying behavior. Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.”