Psychological Aspects of Cyberbullying <Research Article>

With the advent of smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices - and fueled by anonymity - teenagers today have ample opportunities to engage in malicious behavior on the Internet. Cyberbullying is perhaps the most notorious of such behaviors, and this problem is becoming more prevalent. Cyberbullying takes a number of forms and tactics; examples include communications that seek to intimidate, control, manipulate, disparage, falsely discredit, or humiliate the recipient. The actions are deliberate, frequently repeated, and constitute hostile behavior intended to harm another. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, over 40% of teenagers have been subjected to cyberbullying. Traditional face-to-face bullying has long been identified as a risk factor for the social and emotional adjustment of perpetrators and their victims during childhood and adolescence; bystanders are also known to be negatively affected. Research has consistently identified the consequences of cyberbullying for the emotional health of children and young people. Victims experience lack of acceptance in their peer groups, which results in loneliness and social isolation, low self-esteem, and depression; it can lead to stress-related disorders, concentration and school problems, emotional disorders, and even suicide. New approaches for dealing with cyberbullying are discussed.