Cyber-Bullying and its Effect on our Youth
By: Dr. Jennifer
N. Caudle
Between cell phones, social media Web sites, and online
gaming, children today seem to have more outlets for interacting with each
other virtually than they do for interacting with each other in person.
However, with all of the good social interaction that is done as a result of
these technologies also comes the bad. In addition to the physical and verbal
bullying that may take place at school, cyber-bullying in the form of harassing
text messages and derogatory posts on children’s Facebook pages is now
commonplace. Even though it may not take place in person, the emotional and
psychological effects of cyber-bullying are just as destructive. Since new media
and cell phones are harder to track and monitor, parents need to take
preventive measures that can help minimize the effects of cyber-bullying on
their children.
“Kids that are bullied are likely to experience anxiety,
depression, loneliness, unhappiness, and poor sleep,” explains Jennifer N.
Caudle, DO, an AOA board-certified family physician and director of Family
Medicine at Sinai Hospital, Internal Medicine Division, in Baltimore. Making
the issue worse is the fact that such negative effects of bullying often go
unnoticed, as many victims feel the need to conceal the fact that they are
being bullied because they are embarrassed or afraid of further bullying. More
often than not victims respond passively to bullying. They tend to act anxious
and appear less confident. They may become quieter in class and, as a result,
the bullying can become a hindrance on their academic success. Therefore,
bullying is a problem that, if left unattended, can become a significant hurdle
in a child’s development.
Yet while the victim might be passive, it is imperative that
the parent is not. According to Dr. Caudle, in order to prevent cyber-bullying,
parents must be actively involved in their children’s cyber lives.
“Communication with one’s children is the key to bully prevention,” says Dr.
Caudle. So send them a friend request on Facebook. Play some XBOX Live—or
another system with online gaming—with them. Parents who are proactively
involved with their children’s interactions online are subsequently able to
monitor these interactions more closely. Therefore, such parents will be
exponentially more informed with regard to what bullies, if any, exist in their
children’s lives, both online and off.
Dr. Caudle advises that, in addition to interacting more
with their children, parents should also take the necessary preventive measures
to create safe places for their children to get away from cyber-bullying. “The
home should be a safe place where open discussion is not only allowed, but
invited,” says Dr. Caudle. Parental supervision and involvement in a child’s
social interactions allows for a sense of comfort and protection from bullying.
Dr. Caudle also notes that one must not forget about the
bullies themselves. Often, bullying is a cry for help and can usually be traced
to a time when the bully was in fact a victim of this type of behavior. Thus,
creating a safe environment where one’s child feels comfortable enough to talk
about being bullied can help put a stop to bullying before it ever starts.
Source: American Osteopathic Association
No comments:
Post a Comment