Technology contributes to bullying, harm

By Amanda Phipps

phippsa@thejohnsonian.com

Photo illustration by Kathleen Brown • brownk@thejohnsonian.comTechnology has allowed people to harm others from their computers.  

Revenge, retaliation and lack of empathy are some motives behind the phenomenon referred to as “cyberbullying,” psychology professor Melissa Reeves said.

Cyberbullying refers to bullying through e-mail, instant messaging, web- site posts or other digital messages or images, according to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program website.

Similar to traditional bullying, cyberbullying has harmful psychological effects, including depression, anger, family problems, academic problems and low self-esteem, according to a Cyberbullying Research Center article. 

The phenomenon has also grown in popularity.

“Psychologists have seen an increase in cyberbullying,” Reeves said. “Before, if someone wanted to bully another person, they had to have the guts to go up to that person.”

Technology has allowed bullies to do harm without having to see the effects of their actions, Reeves said. With cyberbullying, the psychological and physical distance between the bully and the victim is greater.

“It has become easier and more acceptable to type harmful words,” she said. “(The bullies) hide behind computers.”

Cyberbullying occurs in chat rooms, and on social networking sites, video-sharing websites such as YouTube and portable gaming devices, according to a Cyberbullying Research Center article. 

This has also led to an increase in relational bullying, which includes the spreading of  rumors and inaccurate information that can impact people’s reputations and their place in their social groups, Reeves said.

Though traditional bullying has harmful psychological effects, cyberbullying puts the information where it is more widely seen, she said. This allows more people to know the victim was bullied, which can lead to suicide attempts.

“It makes the victim believe everyone knows what happened,” she said. “This can make them feel there is no other way out.”

While revenge is a common motive behind bullying, the person may also not understand the effects of their actions, Reeves said.

“They see it as a joke in their mind,” she said.

Peer pressure and lack of empathy are other factors that have contributed to cyberbullying, Reeves said. She has worked with bullies that had empathy and apologized for their actions, but has also worked and with people who were not affected by the results of their actions.

Education and clearer laws are two changes needed to impact this growing phenomenon, she said.

“Bystanders need to be educated to stop their friends and to not engage in bullying,” Reeves said. “People need to be educated about the severe impacts of cyberbullying.” 

Though common in teenagers, bullying has occurred among adults as well, she said. 

“Bullying has no boundaries,” Reeves said.

Victims need to have an adult they can trust to support them and help prevent bullying from happening, Reeves said.

Crawford offers students advice on how to deal with bullying, clinical coordinator for counseling services Gretchen Baldwin said.

“If Crawford was the student’s first stop, aside from offering personal counseling, a staff counselor would encourage the student to report the harassment to both the campus police and the dean of students,” she said. “This form of harassment is both illegal and against Winthrop’s student code of conduct. There would be support and advocacy for the student from both of those offices.”

Crawford also offers students short-term counseling services, Baldwin said. Students can call counseling services to set up an appointment; same-day counseling is available for emergencies.  The student will then meet with a counselor and establish goals for their counseling.

“In a situation where the student has been a victim of bullying or harassment, it’s likely that the counseling process would focus on interpersonal issues of assertiveness, self esteem, and building healthy boundaries, she said. “An experience with bullying and harassment can be very damaging to an individual’s self-image.”

Counselors also work with people who engage in bullying behaviors, Baldwin said.

“A counselor would help (the bully) build a sense of empathy and understanding toward others and help explore his or her own personal dynamics behind tendencies to be aggressive toward others,” she said.  “Odds are there is some form of pain or fear behind the aggression.”

Currently, bullying is not a common issue in counseling, Baldwin said.

“This does not mean it doesn’t happen on campus,” she said, “but victims of bullying may not realize they have counseling as a resource.”

The counseling Services at Crawford are free to students, Baldwin said. There is a cap at about 10 sessions per academic year due to student demand and staff resources.

“Most students don’t need that many,” she said. “When it is apparent at the start of the process that a student will need longer-term counseling, we refer out.”

To prevent the continuation of cyberbullying and its effects, parents need to teach their children how to handle those situations differently and educate themselves about technology, Reeves said.

“Many parents are unaware of how easy it is for their child to be involved or become victims,” she said. “Technology has had unintended negative implications that people weren’t expecting.”