cybercrime and cyber bullying essay

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✍️Essay on Cybercrime: Free Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Nov 2, 2023

The 21st century is a digital age, where any and every task is done on the internet. All thanks to the developments in technology which have been the main factor to ease human life on earth and maybe on other plants in future. But with the benefits of technology, there are several harmful effects, one of them which has recently gained popularity; Cyber Crime. 

Cybercrime has emerged as pervasive and evolved as one of the most dangerous threats to humans. There are several users on the internet who indulge in illegal and criminal activities, using computers and networks. To guide you through this hot debate topic, below we have discussed essays on cybercrime.

This Blog Includes:

Essay on cybercrime in 100 words, essay on cybercrime in 200 words, essay on cybercrime in 300 words.

Also Read: Essay on Student Life

Cybercrime involves illegal activities like hacking, ransomware, cyberbullying, online fraud, etc. People who are involved in cybercrime or any similar activities are called hackers, scammers or fraudsters. Cybercrime leads to financial loss for individuals who have fallen victim to one. Cybercrime often invades a person’s privacy by stealing their personal details, including sensitive data, photos, and communication records, which can be used for blackmailing or any malicious purpose.

There are several governmental and non-government organizations which are working 

To tackle cybercrime by raising awareness among the masses, cyber security training, implementing robust security protocols, and enacting comprehensive cybercrime laws.

Cybercrime is a criminal activity done online using a computer, network and internet. With the increasing use of the internet and mobile phones, the number of criminal activities has also gained pace.  These criminal-minded people steal the personal details of a person, which leads to financial losses and damages the reputation of the victims. Various scams and fraudulent schemes are offered on the internet like online auctions, advance fees, or any investment scam, which are all aimed at deceiving individuals into parting with their money.

Cybercrime is not limited to financial losses or reputational damage, a more discrete term has emerged; cyberbullying.  In cyberbullying, a person is harassed, humiliated, or threatened online. This can have severe psychological and emotional consequences. Ethical hackers or white hat hackers can help organizations identify vulnerabilities in their systems before malicious hackers exploit them. 

Cybercrime doesn’t have any boundaries and is an international issue and international cooperation is crucial for tracking and prosecuting cybercriminals who operate across borders. To combat cybercrime effectively, a multi-faceted approach is required, involving education, technology, legislation, and international cooperation. As technology continues to advance, our efforts to combat cybercrime must keep pace to protect our increasingly interconnected world.

Also Read – Essay on Winter Season

Economists have termed cybercrime as ‘ A Hidden Threat to the Digital World.’ Modern humans are relying on the internet for their day-to-day activities and every macro and micro activity. In this sense, the term cybercrime comes to the front. Cybercrime refers to criminal activities conducted through the use of computers, networks, and the Internet. 

Cybercrime consists of various malicious activities like hacking, phishing, ransomware attacks, identity theft, online fraud, and cyberbullying. Hackers, fraudsters, scammers, criminals, and even state-sponsored actors exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems to steal sensitive information, disrupt operations, and cause financial and emotional harm to victims.

The consequences of cybercrime are far-reaching. Financial losses run into 10 digits annually, affecting individuals and organizations alike. Personal privacy is invaded as cybercriminals steal sensitive data, photos, and communication records. In cases of cyberbullying and harassment, victims suffer reputational damages, psychological distress, and emotional trauma, particularly in cases of cyberbullying and harassment.

It’s necessary to look for a multifaceted approach to deal with cybercrime, some of which are.

• Raising public awareness through campaigns where people are informed about the risks of cybercrime and educate them on best practices for online safety.
• Individuals and organizations should implement robust security protocols, regularly update software, and use multi-factor authentication to protect their digital assets.
• Governments should enact and enforce cybercrime laws, providing law enforcement agencies with the resources and expertise needed to prosecute cybercriminals effectively.
• Looking at the global nature of cybercrime, international collaboration is vital. Countries should work together to share threat intelligence and cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of cybercriminals.
• Ethical hackers can help organizations identify and rectify vulnerabilities in their systems before malicious actors exploit them.

Tackling cybercrime requires proactive measures, including education, strong cybersecurity practices, legislation, international cooperation, and the active involvement of ethical hackers.

Related Articles

Cybercrime is an illegal and unethical activity which is done by hackers and fraudsters to gain financial or any other benefits for themselves.

To tackle cybercrime, several measures can be taken. Some of these measures are education and public awareness, research and innovation, ethical hacking, etc.

To write an essay on cybercrime, you need to give details on how it works and the level of danger it poses to humans. Cybercrime consists of various malicious activities like hacking, phishing, ransomware attacks, identity theft, online fraud, and cyberbullying. Hackers, fraudsters, scammers, criminals, and even state-sponsored actors exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems to steal sensitive information, disrupt operations, and cause financial and emotional harm to victims.

For more information about such informative articles, visit our essay writing page and make sure to follow Leverage Edu .

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Cyberbullying: Everything You Need to Know

• Cyberbullying
• How to Respond

Cyberbullying is the act of intentionally and consistently mistreating or harassing someone through the use of electronic devices or other forms of electronic communication (like social media platforms).

Because cyberbullying mainly affects children and adolescents, many brush it off as a part of growing up. However, cyberbullying can have dire mental and emotional consequences if left unaddressed.

This article discusses cyberbullying, its adverse effects, and what can be done about it.

FangXiaNuo / Getty Images

Cyberbullying Statistics and State Laws

The rise of digital communication methods has paved the way for a new type of bullying to form, one that takes place outside of the schoolyard. Cyberbullying follows kids home, making it much more difficult to ignore or cope.

Statistics 

As many as 15% of young people between 12 and 18 have been cyberbullied at some point. However, over 25% of children between 13 and 15 were cyberbullied in one year alone.

About 6.2% of people admitted that they’ve engaged in cyberbullying at some point in the last year. The age at which a person is most likely to cyberbully one of their peers is 13.

Those subject to online bullying are twice as likely to self-harm or attempt suicide . The percentage is much higher in young people who identify as LGBTQ, at 56%.

Cyberbullying by Sex and Sexual Orientation

Cyberbullying statistics differ among various groups, including:

• Girls and boys reported similar numbers when asked if they have been cyberbullied, at 23.7% and 21.9%, respectively.
• LGBTQ adolescents report cyberbullying at higher rates, at 31.7%. Up to 56% of young people who identify as LGBTQ have experienced cyberbullying.
• Transgender teens were the most likely to be cyberbullied, at a significantly high rate of 35.4%.

State Laws 

The laws surrounding cyberbullying vary from state to state. However, all 50 states have developed and implemented specific policies or laws to protect children from being cyberbullied in and out of the classroom.

The laws were put into place so that students who are being cyberbullied at school can have access to support systems, and those who are being cyberbullied at home have a way to report the incidents.

Legal policies or programs developed to help stop cyberbullying include:

• Bullying prevention programs
• Cyberbullying education courses for teachers
• Procedures designed to investigate instances of cyberbullying
• Support systems for children who have been subject to cyberbullying 

Are There Federal Laws Against Cyberbullying?

There are no federal laws or policies that protect people from cyberbullying. However, federal involvement may occur if the bullying overlaps with harassment. Federal law will get involved if the bullying concerns a person’s race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, or religion.

Examples of Cyberbullying 

There are several types of bullying that can occur online, and they all look different.

Harassment can include comments, text messages, or threatening emails designed to make the cyberbullied person feel scared, embarrassed, or ashamed of themselves.

Other forms of harassment include:

• Using group chats as a way to gang up on one person
• Making derogatory comments about a person based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, or other characteristics
• Posting mean or untrue things on social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, as a way to publicly hurt the person experiencing the cyberbullying  

Impersonation

A person may try to pretend to be the person they are cyberbullying to attempt to embarrass, shame, or hurt them publicly. Some examples of this include:

• Hacking into someone’s online profile and changing any part of it, whether it be a photo or their "About Me" portion, to something that is either harmful or inappropriate
• Catfishing, which is when a person creates a fake persona to trick someone into a relationship with them as a joke or for their own personal gain
• Making a fake profile using the screen name of their target to post inappropriate or rude remarks on other people’s pages

Other Examples

Not all forms of cyberbullying are the same, and cyberbullies use other tactics to ensure that their target feels as bad as possible. Some tactics include:

• Taking nude or otherwise degrading photos of a person without their consent
• Sharing or posting nude pictures with a wide audience to embarrass the person they are cyberbullying
• Sharing personal information about a person on a public website that could cause them to feel unsafe
• Physically bullying someone in school and getting someone else to record it so that it can be watched and passed around later
• Circulating rumors about a person

How to Know When a Joke Turns Into Cyberbullying

People may often try to downplay cyberbullying by saying it was just a joke. However, any incident that continues to make a person feel shame, hurt, or blatantly disrespected is not a joke and should be addressed. People who engage in cyberbullying tactics know that they’ve crossed these boundaries, from being playful to being harmful.

Effects and Consequences of Cyberbullying 

Research shows many negative effects of cyberbullying, some of which can lead to severe mental health issues. Cyberbullied people are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts, actions, or behaviors and engage in self-harm as those who are not.

Other negative health consequences of cyberbullying are:

• Stomach pain and digestive issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulties with academics
• Violent behaviors
• High levels of stress
• Inability to feel safe
• Feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness

If You’ve Been Cyberbullied 

Being on the receiving end of cyberbullying is hard to cope with. It can feel like you have nowhere to turn and no escape. However, some things can be done to help overcome cyberbullying experiences.

Advice for Preteens and Teenagers

The best thing you can do if you’re being cyberbullied is tell an adult you trust. It may be challenging to start the conversation because you may feel ashamed or embarrassed. However, if it is not addressed, it can get worse.

Other ways you can cope with cyberbullying include:

• Walk away : Walking away online involves ignoring the bullies, stepping back from your computer or phone, and finding something you enjoy doing to distract yourself from the bullying.
• Don’t retaliate : You may want to defend yourself at the time. But engaging with the bullies can make matters worse.
• Keep evidence : Save all copies of the cyberbullying, whether it be posts, texts, or emails, and keep them if the bullying escalates and you need to report them.
• Report : Social media sites take harassment seriously, and reporting them to site administrators may block the bully from using the site.
• Block : You can block your bully from contacting you on social media platforms and through text messages.

In some cases, therapy may be a good option to help cope with the aftermath of cyberbullying.

Advice for Parents

As a parent, watching your child experience cyberbullying can be difficult. To help in the right ways, you can:

• Offer support and comfort : Listening to your child explain what's happening can be helpful. If you've experienced bullying as a child, sharing that experience may provide some perspective on how it can be overcome and that the feelings don't last forever.
• Make sure they know they are not at fault : Whatever the bully uses to target your child can make them feel like something is wrong with them. Offer praise to your child for speaking up and reassure them that it's not their fault.
• Contact the school : Schools have policies to protect children from bullying, but to help, you have to inform school officials.
• Keep records : Ask your child for all the records of the bullying and keep a copy for yourself. This evidence will be helpful to have if the bullying escalates and further action needs to be taken.
• Try to get them help : In many cases, cyberbullying can lead to mental stress and sometimes mental health disorders. Getting your child a therapist gives them a safe place to work through their experience.

In the Workplace 

Although cyberbullying more often affects children and adolescents, it can also happen to adults in the workplace. If you are dealing with cyberbullying at your workplace, you can:

• Let your bully know how what they said affected you and that you expect it to stop.
• Keep copies of any harassment that goes on in the workplace.
• Report your cyberbully to your human resources (HR) department.
• Report your cyberbully to law enforcement if you are being threatened.
• Close off all personal communication pathways with your cyberbully.
• Maintain a professional attitude at work regardless of what is being said or done.
• Seek out support through friends, family, or professional help.

Effective Action Against Cyberbullying

If cyberbullying continues, actions will have to be taken to get it to stop, such as:

• Talking to a school official : Talking to someone at school may be difficult, but once you do, you may be grateful that you have some support. Schools have policies to address cyberbullying.
• Confide in parents or trusted friends : Discuss your experience with your parents or others you trust. Having support on your side will make you feel less alone.
• Report it on social media : Social media sites have strict rules on the types of interactions and content sharing allowed. Report your aggressor to the site to get them banned and eliminate their ability to contact you.
• Block the bully : Phones, computers, and social media platforms contain options to block correspondence from others. Use these blocking tools to help free yourself from cyberbullying.

Help Is Available

If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, dial  988  to contact the  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  and connect with a trained counselor. To find mental health resources in your area, contact the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline  at  800-662-4357  for information.

Cyberbullying occurs over electronic communication methods like cell phones, computers, social media, and other online platforms. While anyone can be subject to cyberbullying, it is most likely to occur between the ages of 12 and 18.

Cyberbullying can be severe and lead to serious health issues, such as new or worsened mental health disorders, sleep issues, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. There are laws to prevent cyberbullying, so it's essential to report it when it happens. Coping strategies include stepping away from electronics, blocking bullies, and getting.

Alhajji M, Bass S, Dai T. Cyberbullying, mental health, and violence in adolescents and associations with sex and race: data from the 2015 youth risk behavior survey . Glob Pediatr Health. 2019;6:2333794X19868887. doi:10.1177/2333794X19868887

Cyberbullying Research Center. Cyberbullying in 2021 by age, gender, sexual orientation, and race .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Facts about bullying .

John A, Glendenning AC, Marchant A, et al. Self-harm, suicidal behaviours, and cyberbullying in children and young people: systematic review .  J Med Internet Res . 2018;20(4):e129. doi:10.2196/jmir.9044

Cyberbullying Research Center. Bullying, cyberbullying, and LGBTQ students .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Laws, policies, and regulations .

Wolke D, Lee K, Guy A. Cyberbullying: a storm in a teacup? . Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017;26(8):899-908. doi:10.1007/s00787-017-0954-6

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: StopBullying.gov. Cyberbullying tactics .

Garett R, Lord LR, Young SD. Associations between social media and cyberbullying: a review of the literature . mHealth . 2016;2:46-46. doi:10.21037/mhealth.2016.12.01

Nemours Teens Health. Cyberbullying .

Nixon CL. Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health . Adolesc Health Med Ther. 2014;5:143-58. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S36456

Nemours Kids Health. Cyberbullying (for parents) .

By Angelica Bottaro Angelica Bottaro is a professional freelance writer with over 5 years of experience. She has been educated in both psychology and journalism, and her dual education has given her the research and writing skills needed to deliver sound and engaging content in the health space.

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Cyber Bullying — Cyber Bullying Essay Introduction

Cyber Bullying Essay Introduction

• Categories: Cyber Bullying

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Published: Mar 5, 2024

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Cybercrime: Victimization, Perpetration, and Techniques

• Published: 10 November 2021
• Volume 46 , pages 837–842, ( 2021 )

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The creation of the World Wide Web revolutionized communication. At the turn of the twenty-first century, roughly 413 million people used the internet (Roser & Ortiz-Ospina, 2015 ). A mere 21 years later, nearly 4.7 billion people, or about 60% of the world’s population, actively use the internet (We Are Social, & DataReportal, & Hootsuite, 2021 ). The pace of innovation in information technology, from the introduction of email in the 1960s to the rise of multiple social media platforms in the early 2000s to the rise of the Internet of Things (Iot) and 5 g, has been astonishing. It is now almost inconceivable to imagine life without access to the internet. Yet the IT revolution, like all technological revolutions, has been a dual-edge sword. Indeed, the internet’s many benefits and drawbacks have been discussed in numerous forums, and these discussions will undoubtedly continue as long as we remain dependent on this technology. This special edition of the American Journal of Criminal Justice contributes to those discussions by considering one of the drawbacks: cybercime.

Cybercrime, or the use of computer technology or online networks to commit crimes, ranges from fraud and identity theft to threats and intimidation. Cybercrime and its many manifestations has clearly increased over the past 20 years. For example, cybercrime costs increased from approximately $3 trillion in 2015 to more than $6 trillion in 2021, and these are expected to increase to over $10.5 trillion by 2025 (Morgan, 2020 ). In the U.S. alone, approximately 23 percent of households experience some sort of cybercrime annually (Reinhart, 2018 ; Hawdon et al., 2020 ). Indeed, in the same way that larceny characterized the twentieth century, cybercrime is characterizing the twenty-first century (Albanese, 2005 ). And these facts just reflect the economic costs of cybercrime and do not account for the non-monetary harms caused by cyberviolence. Cyberstalking, online sexual exploitation, cyber-harassment and bullying, threats of violence, and online violent extremism are also commonly committed acts of cyberviolence (FBI, 2021 ).

In many ways, it is unsurprising that cybercrime has increased in recent years. As technology becomes more sophisticated, so do cybercriminals, and cybercriminals now target individuals, businesses, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and governments. As more people engage in an ever-increasing variety of online activities and more businesses conduct their affairs online, it is predictable that there would be a rise in cybercrime. To use the familiar language of Routine Activity Theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979 ), we have a lot more suitable targets in insufficiently guarded space being victimized by an increasing number motivated offenders. It is also unsurprising that there is a growing body of literature dedicated to cybercrime as scholars scramble to understand the ever-evolving phenomena. Entire journals are now dedicated to its study, and new academic disciplines have been created to try to prevent it. While our understanding of cybercrime has accumulated quickly and impressively, there is so much about cybercrime that we still do not know. This special issue of the A merican Journal of Criminal Justice offers nine new articles to help fill that knowledge gap.

The articles included in this issue reflect three broad areas of cybercrime research: cybercrime victimization, cybercrime perpetration, and techniques and facilitators of cybercrime. While there is some overlap, the issue includes three papers focused on each of these three areas.

The first area covered in the special issue focuses on cybercrime victimization. This area has generated the most research to date. In part because victims of cybercrime are relatively easy to find, considerable research has been conducted on cybervictimization across a variety of cybercrimes. Three of the articles in this special issue focus on cybervictimization, and they add to the literature in interesting ways by providing cross-national perspectives, building on theoretical traditions, or providing systematic summaries of the state of field at this time.

The first article in this section by Michelle Wright and a team of colleagues investigates how adolescent from China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, and the United States explain being a victim of cyberbully. The investigation compares if how adolescents explain victimization varies by setting (private vs. public), medium (offline vs cyber), and severity and if cultural differences alter these relationships. Their findings suggest the need for prevention and intervention efforts to consider the role of setting, medium, severity, and cultural values if they are to be successful.

The second paper focusing on victimization builds on the frequent finding that problematic social media use is associated with negative life experiences and provides empirical support for a theoretical link between problematic social media use and cybervictimization. The analysis, conducted by colleagues Eetu Marttila, Aki Koivula, and Pekka Räsänen, is framed in Routine Activity Theory/Lifestyle-Exposure Theory. The results indicate that not only is problematic social media use strongly correlated with cybervictimization in a between-subject analysis, but within-subject analyses also reveal that problematic social media use has a cumulative effect on victimization.

The third paper bridges research on cybercrime victimization and cybercrime perpetration and provides a glimpse at the state of knowledge about a specific form of cyberviolence. Catherine Marcum and George Higgins conduct a systematic review of literature investigating both offending and victimization of cyberstalking, cyberdating abuse, and interpersonal electronic surveillance. Using a number of electronic databases, the authors focus on 31 studies to identify correlates of involvement in these cybercrimes. Victims are disproportionately female. Other correlates of victimization include overall social media use, risky online behavior, and negative external factors such as being attached to abusive peers. Correlates of perpetration provide support for a number of leading criminological theories as perpetrators tend to have low levels of self-control, associate with delinquent peers, and have low levels of parental supervision. As more research is conducted, there is a great need for more systematic literature reviews so we can begin to better refine our understanding and identify the theoretical approaches that provide the most insight into the world of cybercrime.

There are another three articles included in this special issue that focus on cybercrime perpetration. All three articles test traditional criminological theories and find support for them. In the first, Adam Bossler uses Sykes and Matza’s ( 1957 ) techniques of neutralization to examine the effects of techniques of neutralization on college students’ willingness to commit cybercrime, specifically hacking websites to deface them or compromise foreign and domestic financial and government targets. An overall techniques of neutralization scale significantly predicts being willing to commit cyberattacks even after controlling for other relevant factors. In addition to the theoretical implications of finding strong support for Sykes and Matza’s framework, the findings also have implications for situational crime prevention efforts aimed at removing excuses for offenders.

In another article focusing on perpetration, Thomas Dearden and Katalin Parti use a national online sample of 1,109 participants and find strong support for social learning theory as measures of both online and offline social learning correlate with a measure of cyber-offending. However, the authors also argue that self-control will interact with social learning variables to further influence the likelihood of cyber-offending. Overall, they find that both social learning and self-control, individually and as an interaction, are good predictors of cyber-offending.

In the final article dedicated to investigating the perpetration of cybercrime, Ashley Reichelmann and Matthew Costello use a nationally representative sample to explore how various dimensions of American national identity relate to producing online hate materials. The analysis reveals that higher levels of salience and public self-regard are weakly related to producing online hate. However, the findings suggest that understanding the nuances of “what it means to be American” is important for fully understanding the phenomenon of cyberhate, especially in this polarizing time when what it means to “be American” is frequently questioned.

Another three articles deal with perpetrating cybercrimes or “pseudo-cybercrimes,” but their focus is on how these crimes are committed. That is, the investigations deal with using the Dark Web or the surface web to make illegal or pseudo-legal purchases of illegal or quasi-legal substances. In the first paper in the section, Eric Jardine provides a crime script for purchasing drugs on the Dark Web. The script involves four generic stages (i.e. Informational Accumulation; Account Formation; Market Exchange; Delivery/Receipt) and provides an opportunity to review known law enforcement interventions that have effectively targeted each stage of the script to reduce the use of these online markets. The paper highlights numerous steps that law enforcement could take to effectively reduce the illegal selling and purchasing of drugs on the Dark Web.

Next, Robert Perdue engages in green criminology and focuses on the illegal trade of endangered species. Noting that regulating this trade is a critical, and very difficult, challenge for conservationists and law enforcement agents, Perdue examines the role the Internet plays in critically endangered plant transactions, but instead of focusing on the Dark Web, he investigates eBay to understand the extent to which such trades occur in plain sight. He finds that nearly a third of the critically endangered plant species examined were for sale in some form on eBay. Yet, despite the evidence that there is a high degree of open trading in these species, the complexity of the international legal frameworks regulating these transactions makes it difficult to ascertain their legality. Nevertheless, at least a subset of these sales are probably unlawful.

Finally, J. Mitchell Miller and Holly Ventura Miller provide insight into the computer-facilitated gray market of pseudo-legal marijuana sales in Los Vegas, Nevada. The ethnographic study reveals how various cannabis products are illegally diverted from legal markets to the gray market, and how brokers use the Internet in clever ways to advertise their products and services to a public that is likely unaware that they are engaging in illegal activities by skirting the regulations and tight control of the legal market.

Taken together, these three papers highlight the tremendous difficulties with regulating e-commerce. While the Dark Web provides an environment to conduct illegal transactions with minimal risk, it turns out that the Dark Web may be unnecessary for many illegal cyber-purchases. Given the surface web is convenient, widely available, and scarcely policed, many cybercriminals simply commit their crimes in the open. Using the language of Routine Activity Theory again, the internet—Dark or Surface—is an environment largely devoid of capable guardians.

As a whole, I believe these nine papers speak to the current state and future promise of cybercriminology. Currently, we are building a large body of empirical studies that speak to patterns of victimization and perpetration. With respect to victimization, we have learned a lot about who is likely to be victimized and how the patterns of victimization vary by type of cybercrime. We also have a good understanding of the activities that increase the likelihood of victimization, the emotional and financial costs of being a victim, and how people view victims depending on the setting and type of victimization. The body of evidence supporting a slightly modified version of Routine Activity Theory/Lifestyle-Exposure Theory is increasingly impressive, and the papers by Marttila, Koivula, and Räsänen as well as the article by Marcum and Higgins offer additional support for aspects of this theoretical approach.

Similarly, our understanding of cybercrime perpetration has expanded exponentially in recent years. While finding samples of cybercriminals is always a challenge, the growing body of evidence suggests that the behavior of cybercriminals is largely explained by the same set of factors that can account for the behavior of more traditional criminals. That is, cybercriminals tend to have low levels of self and social control, are largely unsupervised, experience strains, and learn the how, when, and why of their crimes from their associates. The papers in this issue offer additional support for techniques of neutralization, social learning theory, and self-control theory. While there are nuanced differences in how some criminogenic factors play out in the virtual and offline worlds, our existing theories appear to be robust as many of our theories apply to both online and offline criminal behavior. A number of the differences that exist largely relate to the asynchronous nature of many online interactions. The fact that online interactions can occur synchronously as well as asynchronously expands our networks and provide additional opportunities for others beyond our immediate environment to influence us and for us to commit crimes. The full ramifications of these changes in social networks, criminogenic forces, and criminal opportunities are not understood; however, we understand these far better today than we did even just a few years ago.

We also have a far greater understanding of the techniques of committing cybercrimes. We know considerably more about the use of the Dark Web to find and purchase illegal goods and services, and we have learned that the Surface Web plays a significant role in computer-dependent crimes. Moreover, as the article by Miller and Miller highlights, information technology has helped blur the line between legal, pseudo-legal, and illegal behaviors. What work in this area really highlights is how difficult it is to monitor and police the internet. While there is certainly social control exercised on the internet, there are limits to the effectiveness of this control (see Hawdon et al., 2017 ). Yet, by understanding the patterns of victimization, the underlying causes of perpetration, and the techniques that facilitate cybercrime, we become better armed in designing strategies to prevent it, defend against it, mitigate its adverse effects, and prosecute those who commit it. All of the articles included in this issue further that understanding.

The Special Issue

The process of selecting the articles for this special issue was perhaps unusual but also rather intensive. The process began by me inviting a group of scholars to submit manuscripts for the special issue. I selected these scholars because I knew of their work and was confident they would submit quality papers that covered a wide range of topics in the area of cybercrime. After discussing their planned submissions with the authors to assure there would be good topic coverage, the authors submitted their paper. An anonymous scholar and I reviewed these initial submissions (the anonymous scholar served as a typical double-blind reviewer). Each contributing author also reviewed one or two of the included articles. Authors then revised their work based on the reviewers’ comments and resubmitted the papers. Each contributing author was then asked to read all nine revised papers. Then, the authors and I took advantage of the brief pause in the COVID-19 pandemic and gathered for a two-day workshop in Asheville, North Carolina as part of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention’s annual research workshop program. The lone exception to this was our Finnish colleagues who were unable to get a special visa to visit the U.S. at that time. These colleagues joined the workshop via Zoom. The authors/workshop participants then discussed and provided feedback on all of the articles. The authors then made final revisions to their papers based on these discussions. Thus, these papers have been through three rounds of revisions. As the editor of the special edition, I am proud of the finished product.

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Hawdon, J. Cybercrime: Victimization, Perpetration, and Techniques. Am J Crim Just 46 , 837–842 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-021-09652-7

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Received : 03 July 2021

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Issue Date : December 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-021-09652-7

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Good Essay On Cybercrimes And Cyber Bullying

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Law , Crime , Cyber Bulling , Criminal Justice , Cyber Crimes , Discrimination , Sexual Abuse , Victimology

Words: 1700

Published: 02/20/2023

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A cybercrime is the type of law breaking that is of a criminal nature that involves a computer that is targeted or used in the crime itself or a network as a whole. Cyberbullying, on the other hand, is the use of electronic means of communication to send messages of a threatening or intimidating nature to someone (Wall 341). These messages may get sent through electronic equipment such as mobile phones, computers tablets or through communication platforms such as social media. Another significant difference of the two is that cyberbullying is done via any electronic means while cybercrime gets committed through the computers and networks. I agree that with the lawyers and the academics who are for the view that there is no need for more laws that govern the cyber conduct of the people. There already exists laws that govern this cyber bullying and cybercrimes menace. There is, therefore, no need for the legislation of more. That will just take up taxpayer’s money and time of the legislators who ought to use this time to make other laws. One vital point to note, therefore, is that the need to create new policies while others still exist is not the solution. It gets propagated by the failure to implement the current laws. Therefore, there is a high chance of not implementing the new bills. The surest step to recovery is not making new legislations but making use of the existing ones. The laws passed are not any different from the ones already in place, and thus, they will serve the same purpose. In a nutshell, emphasis should be put on the implementation and interpretation of these laws and treating them with the seriousness they deserve. The cyber menace has several negative implications on the affected ones and the rest of the citizens alike (Puzic, par.3).

Social implications

Suicides Commission of suicide by the victims of cyber bullying is the highlight of this threat. Threatening someone is one thing but doing so to the point of causing this person to contemplate eliminating their lives is a different issue. It only goes to prove the extent to which this matter has gone out of hand. More than one death gets heard of, especially of the weak-hearted victims. It may be all fun for an individual spreading let’s say rumors about another but to the one affected it is a matter of life and death. The Cyber Safety Act of 2013, if implemented, will go a long way in preventing such shameful deaths. The Act, Section 21 states that the person subjecting another to cyberbullying is liable for damages under the law of tort. The rule alone will scare off the potential bullies against such heinous acts. Such penalties will encourage more victims to opt for litigation in court other than committing suicide.

Moral decay

There are high levels of moral degradation among electronic technology users. It is only human to think about the ethical implications of spreading rumors on social media. It is, however, saddening to witness people derive joy and pleasure from spreading rumors about another person. The truth to these rumors themselves gets questioned but as long as they make the rumormongers happy that is all that matters. Most of the gossip spread on the social media platforms are sex-related and thus do wreckage to the reputation of the victims while bringing a kind of satisfaction to the perpetrators. That notwithstanding, the law has a remedy for such crimes including payment of general, special, aggravated or punitive damages.

Personal integrity

Cyberbullying has an effect on the integrity of the victim. The affected develop a low self-esteem among peers and even workmates that start to change their overall output in schools or even workplaces. As a consequence, their personal integrity is lowered as they begin to view themselves differently. That is, however, bound to change if the interpretation of the existing laws and their subsequent implementation gets done. As the Minister of Justice Peter MacKay stressed the aim of the introduction the Bill C-13 is to make the whole of Canada a safer place for its citizens and especially the younger generation. The legal system plans to do this by protecting the personal integrity of the people (Puzic, par. 5).

Political implications

Security The greatest political implication of cyber bullying and cybercrimes is the safety of the people of Canada. The victims and their families are the worst affected. They live in constant fear of what will happen or who the rumors about them will get to next. They are always intimidated by what people say about them on social media and feel less secure in their country. They lose a sense of security and thus some end up committing suicide or running away from home, and others become truants. As far as cybercrime is concerned, terrorism propaganda is spread on networks through computers, and this creates an environment of panic in the country. Citizens start to feel less secure. Security being a priority of the state gets perfectly dealt with in the existing cyberbullying laws, and their implementation will reduce such cases significantly. Cases of suicides due to cyber bullying will also reduce.

Effects on elections

The cyber criminals may be solicited by political aspirants to hack into the database of their rival candidates and acquire classified and vital information. They then use this information to fight an otherwise good and respected candidate. Thus, affecting the candidature of the opponent and hence making them stop running. These crude methods are not to get associated with any national or political leader at all. Therefore, the laws will help eliminate such people from leading the nation.

Privacy versus safety

The critics of the Bill C-13 argue that it will infringe upon the rights of the Canadians to privacy. The biggest question, however, should be, which is more important, safety or privacy? The implementation of such legislations under the bill aims at ensuring a safer country for all. The policy makers have no interest in or agenda whatsoever to interfere with the private lives of the peaceful citizens. Their primary aim is to protect the lives and dignity of the few Canadians who are vulnerable to fall prey to bullies. These policies through may bring forth heated debate is the surest way to maintaining peace and order while protecting lives. Those committing cybercrimes and cyberbullying others use their right to privacy to do so. Thus curtailing this privilege teaches them a valuable lesson. The innocent ones have nothing to hide. Whereas privacy is a fundamental human right, so is safety and both have to get maintained optimally to ensure justice for all (Fine, par. 6).

Economic implications

The world economy has been hit severally from the activities of cyber criminals whose agenda is to frustrate the human population (Chadwick 275). The government has spent a lot of funds and revenue trying to fight this. Billions of dollars have been pumped in this sector, money which could have been used to improve other sectors of the economy. Multi-billion companies have been scared away from investing in the country due high risks of falling victims to cybercrimes activities. Cybercrime has an effect on both the innovation and creativity of a nation. The small businesses have fallen prey to this menace. They have small systems which get hacked quickly into and information stolen from them. It will be years later when they will realize. By, this time, they have spent fortunes trying to operate their systems only to realize other companies got hold of their operational logistics and stole their information (Puzic, par. 5). The implementation of the Cyber Safety Act of 2013 would help protect such small enterprises by safeguarding their interests and providing remedies if they get attacked. It will also serve to give a warning to the perpetrators of these crimes. As far as the cyberbullying is concerned, the economic implications are felt through the reduced productivity of the victims. Such a victim will have less drive in while undertaking their daily jobs and as a result, their economic output is affected. Some even forfeit work and others quit working altogether. In the long run, more and more people fall victim and follow similar trends and before we know it a large number is affected, and this brings our economy down. Therefore, the laws in place ought to get implemented to avoid such occurrences in the future (Cyber-safety Act, par.4).

In addition people feel that that cyberbullying is a major threat to the world, they have actually categorized it as being on the same level with terrorism and the like. In fact this is worse because with terrorism it hits you there and then while cybercrimes are hard to detect on the onset. It will take a matter of months and in some instances years to finally feel the pinch. By this time the effect is too much to be dealt with and the results are unbearable. It is therefore on this note that I wish to register my sentiments that cybercrimes get dealt with the seriousness they deserve.

Works cited

Chadwick, Sharlene. Impacts of Cyberbullying, Building Social and Emotional Resilience in Schools. New York: Springer Science & Business Media, 2014. Puzic, Sonja. Anti-cyberbullying law, Bill C-13, now in effect, 2015. Web. Feb. 13, 2016. <http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/anti-cyberbullying-law-bill-c-13-now-in-effect-1.2270460> Fine, Sean. N.S. judge strikes down cyberbullying law created after Rehtaeh Parsons death, 2015. Feb. 13, 2016 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/judge-strikes-down-ns-cyberbullying-law-inspired-by-rehtaeh-parsons/article27718662/> Cyber-safety Act, SNS 2013, c 2. Web. Feb. 13, 2016 <http://canlii.ca/t/5237b> Wall, David. Cybercrime: The Transformation of Crime in the Information Age. Cambridge: Polity, 2007. Print.

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Exploring Risk and Protective Factors for Cyberbullying and Their Interplay: Evidence from a Sample of South Korean College Students

Seong-sik lee.

1 Department of Information Sociology, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea; rk.ca.uss@428ss

Hyojong Song

2 Department of Sociology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea; rk.ca.aerok@70102aerokesuc

Jeong Hyun Park

Associated data.

Not applicable.

This study explored risk and protective factors for cyberbullying perpetration and examined whether they independently and interactively predicted cyberbullying perpetration. Based on key propositions of micro-level theories of crime and delinquency, we adopted two risk factors, cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers, and two protective factors, morality and self-control. Using a sample of South Korean college students ( N = 244; 112 women (45.9%), 132 men (54.1%); Mean (age) = 22), we found that the two risk factors were positively associated with cyberbullying perpetration, while only one of the two protective factors, which is morality, had a negative relationship with cyberbullying perpetration. In addition, the two protective factors partially buffered the effects of both risk factors on cyberbullying perpetration. The implications and limitations of these findings were also discussed.

1. Introduction

As the recent influence of the online domain on our daily lives has increased dramatically, new types of crimes or deviant behavior based on online or information technology have increasingly appeared. As one form of deviant online behavior, cyberbullying has been increasing along with the growth in the use of mobile devices and online social networking services. According to a recent nationally representative survey on cyberbullying among approximately five thousand U.S. adolescents [ 1 ], as of 2019, 36.5% of students reported cyberbullying victimization during their lifetime, and 17.4% reported that they had been cyberbullied within the previous 30 days. Regarding cyberbullying perpetration, 14.8% of students admitted that they had perpetrated cyberbullying during their lifetime, and 6.3% reported having done so in the last 30 days. In South Korea, a nationwide survey with 6279 respondents, including 4779 students and 1500 adults, reported that 33.5% of respondents experienced cyberviolence in 2019, which increased from 32.8% in 2018 and 26% in 2017 [ 2 ].

Several studies indicate that, although cyberbullying is primarily in the form of an indirect type of aggression, for example, verbal aggression, its adverse effects on victims, such as delinquency, depression, suicidal ideation, and other behavioral/mental problems, are as significant as traditional bullying, which can harm victims’ physical bodies and inflict physical distress [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Moreover, such negative consequences can potentially be more harmful than those of traditional bullying victimization given that cyberbullying via mobile instant messenger services has become more prevalent recently due to the increasing use of smartphone devices. In other words, because perpetrators and victims are connected nearly 24/7 in such a setting, the environment enables perpetrators to cyberbully victims more frequently and more constantly, which, in turn, may lead to more adverse effects on victims [ 10 , 11 , 12 ].

Given that, in general, bullying tends to occur in a school context, most cyberbullying studies to date have focused on cyberbullying among school-aged teenagers. However, as online communication has begun to increase not only in the school context but also in other settings in general, cyberbullying can be a social problem not only for adolescents in a school context but also individuals in various social and demographic groups as well. In South Korea, for example, adults report even more cyberviolence experiences compared to adolescents; according to the national survey on cyberviolence in 2019, more than a half of adult respondents (54.7%) reported that they experienced either cyberviolence perpetration or victimization, while only 26.9% of student respondents did. More specifically, 32.5% and 48.5% of adults experienced cyberviolence perpetration and victimization respectively, while 18% and 19% of students reported them, respectively [ 2 ]. Nevertheless, cyberbullying and online aggression among adults have rarely been examined to date (however, see [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]). Therefore, more research on cyberbullying in non-school contexts is needed.

In addition, there is a need for research focusing on examining interactive mechanisms of risk and protective factors for cyberbullying based on theories of crime and deviance although many prior studies have explored probable risk and protective factors for cyberbullying and examined their associations with cyberbullying. Some cyberbullying studies have examined the applicability of theoretical explanations for cyberbullying derived from major criminological theories, such as self-control, learning, and strain theories [ 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. However, less attention has been paid to how these theoretical variables interact with one another, that is, whether their effects on cyberbullying decrease or increase under certain conditions (however, see [ 19 , 20 ]). Drawing on prior empirical findings as well as the propositions of major criminological theories, we first examined the significance of several probable risk and protective factors for cyberbullying. We also examined how they interact, more specifically, whether protective factors significantly reduce the criminogenic effects of risk factors on cyberbullying. To do so, we used survey data collected from South Korean college students on their smartphone use and cyberbullying experiences.

1.1. Risk Factors: Cyberbullying Victimization and Cyberbullying Peers

There are several important risk factors for cyberbullying that can be suggested by major criminological theories. These risk factors may include victimization as a source of an individual’s strain (general strain theory) and differential association with delinquent peers (differential association/social learning theories).

According to general strain theory [ 21 ], strain derived from negative life events that individuals experience can be a cause of their criminal and delinquent behavior. When people experience negative life events, they are more likely to experience negative affective states, and crime is one coping strategy that they adopt to release their strain and negative emotions. Empirical findings show that some sources of strain, such as conflict with parents or peers and poor academic performance, are closely associated with negative emotions, including anger, depression, frustration, and fear, and these negative affective states eventually lead to delinquency [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. The proposed criminogenic mechanism can also be applied to cyberbullying. That is, those exposed to the sources of strain may cyberbully others to cope with their strain and negative emotions. The unique attributes of cyberspace, such as the lack of contact and the anonymity, can be perceived as attractive for coping with one’s stress and negative emotions. For example, Patchin and Hinduja [ 17 ] found that both strain and negative emotions, such as anger and frustration, were significantly associated with cyberbullying as well as traditional bullying.

In terms of the effects of strain, Agnew [ 22 , 25 , 26 ] suggested that some types of strain are more criminogenic than others, particularly when they are seen as unjust, high in magnitude (e.g., severity, frequency, or duration), associated with low social control, and provide some incentive or pressure for criminal coping. Given these attributes of criminogenic strain, criminal or peer victimization was taken as an example of the criminogenic strain, which is assumed to be more likely to be associated with one’s negative emotions and delinquent coping. Thus, if an individual is victimized, they are likely to feel negative emotions, which, in turn, may lead them to perpetrate cyberbullying as a means of retaliating for their victimization and coping with their negative emotions derived from that victimization. Many cyberbullying studies have consistently reported that criminal or peer victimization is significantly associated with cyberbullying perpetration [ 7 , 13 , 15 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].

In addition to victimization, the association with cyberbullying peers can be another risk factor. According to differential association/social learning theories [ 30 , 31 ], delinquency is learned by others, especially when they have experiences related to crime or rule violations. As an individual frequently socializes with delinquent peers, he or she learns favorable definitions and techniques of crime from those delinquents, accepts pro-criminal attitudes, and can experience reinforcement of conformity to the delinquent peers and peer groups. These social learning processes may eventually lead the person to become involved in crime and delinquency. Cyberbullying perpetration can thus be encouraged by cyberbullying peers, as it is perceived as cool and rewarded among these delinquent peers.

In line with this proposition, prior studies found that association with delinquent peers was an important predictor of online deviant behavior as well [ 32 , 33 ], and recent cyberbullying studies also reported that the effects of delinquent peers on cyberbullying perpetration were significant [ 16 , 18 ]. Furthermore, because cyberbullying involves verbal and indirect aggression, it tends to be perceived less seriously than other deviant behaviors; hence, it is likely that a favorable definition of cyberbullying is more easily accepted through the social learning mechanism. Therefore, differential association with delinquent peers, including cyber-deviant peers, can also be an important risk factor for cyberbullying perpetration.

1.2. Protective Factors: Morality and Self-Control

In addition to risk factors for cyberbullying, protective factors for cyberbullying must also be discussed that can prevent someone from engaging in cyberbullying offenses despite the individual being exposed to risk factors. These protective factors may be directly associated with a lower risk of committing cyberbullying. In addition, they may also condition the effects of risk factors for cyberbullying, buffering the criminogenic effects of strain and delinquent peers.

One protective factor of cyberbullying is morality. If one’s morality is high, they are less likely to commit cyberbullying. Morality has to do with whether a person perceives crime as an alternative when they are exposed to criminal opportunities. People with a high level of morality believe that crime is never the right approach and cannot be an alternative regardless of pressure and opportunistic temptation to commit crime; thus, morality prevents them from breaking the rules and laws. However, if an individual has weak moral beliefs, crime can be perceived as an alternative when it is seen as attractive [ 34 , 35 , 36 ]. Research findings also show that the protective effect of morality on criminal and delinquent behaviors is significant [ 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Cybercrime is also likely to be perceived as an alternative to weak morality [ 40 ]. Similarly, some studies have reported that moral attitudes toward cyberbullying are closely related to cyberbullying perpetration [ 41 , 42 ].

An individual’s self-control can be another important protective factor for cyberbullying. Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime [ 43 ] focuses on the fact that most crimes are committed impulsively and spontaneously. They pointed out that individuals’ self-control as an ability to control immediate gratification and impulsivity was a cause of crime. That is, people with high self-control are more likely to behave with a long-term perspective for achievement and success rather than pursuing immediate gratification and pleasure, which prevents deviant behaviors. The protective role of self-control can also be applied to deviance in cyberspace, and research findings suggest that self-control is an important protective factor for several types of cybercrime [ 44 , 45 , 46 ]. Because cyberspace provides a setting in which people behave more impulsively without deliberation due to anonymity and the lack of physical contact, it can be more difficult for people with low self-control to manage their temper and impulsive behavior, which may lead them to commit deviant behavior more easily in cyberspace environments. Furthermore, compared to other types of offense, violence is more closely related to impulsivity rather than being behavior based on a deliberated plan. Self-control is thus an important protective factor for cyberbullying, one form of cyberviolence [ 14 , 15 , 47 , 48 ].

1.3. Interplay between Risk and Protective Factors for Cyberbullying

Although each of the major theories of crime and delinquency suggests their own risk and protective factors, there is also increasing attention on whether these factors interact. Thus, a factor may have different effects on crime depending on the influence of other factors. Cyberbullying can also be understood by considering the interplay between risk and protective factors, which indicates the conditions that increase the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration. This approach is based on recent efforts toward theoretical integration focusing on the interplay between risk and protective factors, which has been discussed in general strain theory [ 22 , 25 ] and situational action theory [ 34 , 35 , 36 ].

According to general strain theory, for instance, strain is suggested to be a cause of crime, but its effect on crime can be moderated by other variables, such as self-control, social bonds, and association with delinquent peers [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. Situational action theory also suggests that several types of interaction effects can be examined to understand the mechanism of crime, considering that both person and environment interact with one another. For example, associating with delinquent peers indicates an environment in which weak moral rules are justified and even rewarded, but its criminogenic effects may not be identical between those with weak morality and those with strong morality. In other words, an individual’s moral disengagement may enhance the effect of delinquent peers, while it can be buffered by one’s high morality. In addition, it has been reported that the negative effect of criminogenic environments and self-control interact [ 53 , 54 , 55 ], which is the case for cyber-deviance as well [ 32 ]. Therefore, the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration increases when an individual has delinquent peers and low self-control, while it decreases when their self-control is high.

1.4. Current Focus

The current study thus aims to examine the interactions between risk and protective factors for cyberbullying as well as their independent associations with cyberbullying. Risk factors refer to a necessary condition that directly triggers cyberbullying perpetration, including strain and association with delinquent peers at the initial stage, while the protective factors are an individual’s propensity to reduce the effects of these motivators. Therefore, we can expect that individuals with risk factors for cyberbullying are more likely to cyberbully others, and among the risk group, those with protective factors are less likely to commit cyberbullying than those with no protective factors, as the effects of risk factors are attenuated by the protective factors.

As previously discussed, both cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers can be considered risk factors for cyberbullying perpetration, while both morality and self-control can be considered protective factors. Thus, our three research hypotheses are as follows:

The two risk factors for cyberbullying, cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers, predict an increased likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration.

The two protective factors for cyberbullying, morality and self-control, predict a decreased likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration.

The two protective factors for cyberbullying buffer the effects of the risk factors for cyberbullying.

2. Participants and Methods

2.1. particiapants.

One of the primary foci in the current study was to examine whether the proposed mechanism, which is the interplay between risk and protective factors for cyberbullying, is applicable to young adults. Therefore, in 2017, we conducted a survey of 266 South Korean college students from seven randomly selected colleges in Seoul, South Korea. Drawing on the quota-sampling method, we recruited participants based on the following criteria: (1) assign 30 to 40 participants to each university and (2) balance the ratios of gender (males to females) and major (the humanities/social sciences to engineering/natural sciences). Out of 266 students, 115 and 143 were women and men, respectively, while eight declined to report their gender. Regarding participants’ majors, 135 selected their majors in the humanities or social sciences, 96 in engineering or natural sciences majors, and 22 in arts or sports. Thirteen participants declined to report their majors. The average age of original participants was approximately 22 years. Through the data-cleaning process, 22 incomplete responses, such as those with missing information regarding gender, age, or cyberbullying perpetration, were excluded; thus, a total of 244 responses were finally used for data analysis. The final sample consists of 132 men (54.1%) and 112 women (45.9%). Their ages ranged from 18 to 27 years, and the average age was 22. For their family socioeconomic status, 125 participants reported that their family held the “middle” socioeconomic status, which is more than the half (51.2%), followed by “high” (30.3%), “low” (11.5%), “extremely high” (4.5%), and “extremely low” (see Table 1 ).

Descriptive Statistics.

2.2. Measures

Cyberbullying perpetration . Cyberbullying perpetration is the dependent variable of this study. Six items were created and asked based on Willard’s study [ 56 ] and the cyber-violence survey conducted by the Korea Internet and Security Agency. Respondents were asked the following: “For the last year, through your smartphone, have you (1) committed verbal abuse against and humiliated someone else, (2) spread rumors about someone else, (3) spread private information about someone else, (4) stalked someone else by continually sending them emails or texts and posting comments on their blogs or Facebook pages, (5) sexually harassed someone else by sending obscene photos and video clips, or (6) ostracized someone else in a group chat room while using mobile instant messengers?” Participants responded to the items with five response options, “not at all”, “once”, “two to three times”, “four to nine times”, and “ten or more times”. Each response was scored from 0 to 4, and the sum of the scores was used (alpha = 0.890).

Cyberbullying victimization. As one of the risk factors, cyberbullying victimization was measured with the same six items as those for cyberbullying perpetration mentioned above, with the items modified to cyberbullying victimization. The same five response options were applied, and the sum of the scores was also used (alpha = 0.811).

Association with cyberbullying peers. The other risk factor, association with cyberbullying peers, was measured with the same six items as those used for cyberbullying perpetration as mentioned above, but the items were modified, asking respondents if they had any cyberbullying peers who were engaged in those offenses and, if so, how many. Five response options were applied: “none”, “one”, “two to three peers”, “four to nine peers”, and “ten or more peers”. Scores from 0 to 4 were assigned to five responses (alpha = 0.867).

Morality . As one of the protective factors, an individual’s morality regarding cyberbullying perpetration was measured with six items related to whether respondents would think that the six forms of cyberbullying perpetration mentioned above are morally wrong. A five-point Likert scale was used, with the responses “strongly disagree” (=1), “disagree” (=2), “neutral” (=3), “agree” (=4), and “strongly agree” (=5), and the sum of the scores for all six items was used (alpha = 0.957).

Self-control . The other protective factor, self-control, was measured using a modified and shortened version of the Grasmick and colleagues’ scale [ 57 ]; as applied in a previous study [ 58 ], a single indicator was used to measure each of the six aspects of low self-control traits, such as impulsivity, risk-seeking, simple task, physical activity, self-centeredness, and volatile temper; thus, a total of six items were applied, and those six items were measured through a five-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly disagree” (=1) to “strongly agree” (=5). The scores for the six items were reversed and added (alpha = 0.632) so that the higher the scores, the higher the self-control.

Control variables . Finally, gender , age , and perceived family socioeconomic status were controlled for in all analytic models. For gender, men and women were coded as 0 and 1, respectively. Respondents were asked for the year of birth, which was then recoded as their age. Regarding perceived family socioeconomic status, respondents were also asked to assess their family income and to select a response from among “extremely low” (=1), “low” (=2), “middle” (=3), “high” (=4), and “extremely high” (=5). Table 1 displays the descriptive statistics of the variables in this study.

2.3. Plan of Analysis

To examine the three research hypotheses, we applied three ordinary least square regression models. First, the two risk factors, cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying peers, were included in Model 1 along with the control variables, such as gender, age, and perceived family socioeconomic status, to examine whether both risk factors independently and significantly increase the likelihood of perpetrating cyberbullying. In Model 2, we then added the two protective factors, morality and self-control, to Model 1 to examine whether both protective factors independently and significantly reduce the likelihood of perpetrating cyberbullying. In Model 3, we created and added four interaction terms using the two risk and two protective factors, (1) cyberbullying victimization * morality, (2) cyberbullying victimization * self-control, (3) association with cyberbullying peers * morality, and (4) association with cyberbullying peers * self-control, to examine the proposed buffering role of protective factors in the associations between risk factors and cyberbullying perpetration. For interaction terms, each risk and protective factor was mean centered to reduce multicollinearity. All statistical analyses were executed using Stata 15.

Table 2 shows the three different models for cyberbullying perpetration. In Model 1, the independent associations of the two risk factors with cyberbullying perpetration controlling for sociodemographic variables, including gender, age, and perceived family SES, are reported. As shown in Model 1, both cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers significantly increased the likelihood of cyberbullying ( p < 0.01). The standardized coefficient of the variable of cyberbullying victimization (B = 0.493) was larger than that of association with cyberbullying peers (B = 0.319), and approximately 59.9% of the variance was explained by the two risk factors and the three control variables (R 2 = 0.599).

Ordinary Least Square Regression Models Predicting Cyberbullying Perpetration.

* indicates p < 0.05 level. (two-tailed test); ** indicates p < 0.01 level. (two-tailed test).

Model 2 includes the two protective factors, morality and self-control, in addition to the variables in Model 1. In Model 2, both risk factors remained significant despite the addition of the two protective factors ( p < 0.01), and the standardized coefficient for the variable of cyberbullying victimization (B = 0.482) was also larger than that of association with cyberbullying peers (B = 0.315). Regarding the independent associations of protective factors with cyberbullying perpetration, higher morality was significantly associated with a lower chance of cyberbullying (B = −0.118, p < 0.01), while self-control was not significantly associated with cyberbullying (B = 0.055, ns). The explained variance of the model increased slightly to 61.4% (R 2 = 0.614) compared to Model 1.

In Model 3, four different interaction terms between the risk and protective factors were included to examine whether the protective factors significantly reduce the effect of risk factors on cyberbullying perpetration. As in the two previous models, cyberbullying perpetration was significantly and positively associated with the two risk factors, cyberbullying victimization (B = 0.427, p < 0.01) and association with cyberbullying peers (B = 0.189, p < 0.01). Similar to Model 2, morality was significantly and negatively associated with cyberbullying (B = −F0.097, p < 0.05); however, self-control was insignificant (B = 0.018, ns). Regarding the four interaction terms, two terms, cyberbullying victimization * morality and association with cyberbullying peers * self-control, showed a negative direction, and they were statistically significant at p < 0.01. That is, morality in addition to its direct association with cyberbullying perpetration significantly buffered the direct effect of cyberbullying victimization on cyberbullying (see Figure 1 ), and self-control was also a significant moderator that buffered the direct effect of association with cyberbullying peers (see Figure 2 ) although its direct association with cyberbullying perpetration was not significant. In terms of the explained variance of Model 3, the model accounted for 65.6% of the total variance (R 2 = 0.656), a 4.2 percent increase from the explained variance of Model 2, which is a significant increase (ΔR 2 = 0.042, F(4,232) = 7.03, p < 0.05).

Interaction between cyberbullying victimization and morality predicting cyberbullying perpetration (with 95% confidence intervals).

Interaction between association with cyberbullying peers and self-control predicting cyberbullying perpetration (with 95% confidence intervals).

4. Discussion

The current study focused on examining whether risk and protective factors suggested by some criminological theories account for cyberbullying perpetration among South Korean young adults. Furthermore, this study also examined whether the criminogenic effects of risk factors, cyberbullying victimization, and association with cyberbullying peers were significantly buffered by protective factors, specifically morality and self-control.

Consistent with Hypothesis 1, the two risk factors, cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers, were positively correlated with cyberbullying even when controlling for the protective factors as well as other control variables. That is, college students who were more cyberbullied and had more cyberbullying peers were more likely to perpetrate cyberbullying. The findings imply that the suggested mechanisms of deviant behavior derived from general strain theory and differential association/social learning theories can be applied to cyberbullying as well. As suggested by general strain theory, cyberbullying victimization can be perceived as a more direct, unfair, and serious negative life experience for cyberbullying victims compared to other types of negative life events that heighten one’s strain. This, in turn, may lead them to negative affective states such as anger and frustration and eventually result in cyberbullying perpetration. Association with cyberbullying peers can also lead to cyberbullying, as suggested in differential association/social learning theories, as individuals learn a favorable definition and techniques of cyberbullying from their peers, and they want to be recognized and accepted by their cyberbullying peers for their cyberbullying perpetration. This suggests that the risk factors in this study play an important role as a necessary condition for cyberbullying and that we should consider how to decrease the negative influence of cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying peers, particularly in regard to developing effective policies to reduce cyberbullying perpetration. As general strain theory suggests, for instance, cyberbullying victimization may lead to high levels of strain and negative feelings closely related to deviant behaviors. Thus, implementing counseling programs that can help cyberbullying victims cope with their strain derived from their victimization in legitimate and healthy ways and developing educational programs on effective techniques or tips for cyberbullying prevention are recommended. In addition, we should consider adopting intervention programs designed to block the differential association and social learning processes for those who reported associating with cyberbullying peers as well as for their cyberbullying peers.

In terms of Hypothesis 2, our findings indicate that only one of the protective factors, morality, had a significantly negative relationship with cyberbullying perpetration, while the other one, self-control, did not have a significant association with the dependent variable. In other words, college students with higher morality on cyberbullying were less likely to perpetrate cyberbullying, but their levels of self-control seemed to be irrelevant to preventing their cyberbullying behavior or, at least, its independent association. Regarding morality, young adults who believed that cyberbullying was wrong were less likely to perpetrate cyberbullying regardless of variations in other risk factors, such as cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers. Thus, we can see the possibility that the protective mechanism of moral belief may be applicable to cyberbullying as well as being an important protective factor for other forms of delinquency. In terms of the insignificancy of self-control, it may imply that the expected protective mechanism of self-control is not applicable to cyberbullying perpetration. That is, self-control is expected to prevent many forms of delinquency as it allows individuals to deliberate and pursue long-term consequences and goals rather than seeking after short-term gratification or immediate pleasure that can be fulfilled by delinquency. Therefore, the insignificant association between self-control and cyberbullying may be partially derived from how serious people would perceive cyberbullying in that cyberbullying may be taken less seriously compared to other traditional forms of delinquency. In other words, since cyberbullying is often not a form of physical attack or fight, young adults, even those with higher self-control, may perceive it as a minor or trivial deviance that rarely ensues any adverse consequences, such as official punishment and informal social disadvantages. Thus, some educational programs targeting people’s perception of cyberbullying may be recommended, for example, for those aiming to change their perception that cyberbullying is not trivial and can be more harmful than traditional bullying, and thus, more severe responses should follow.

As for Hypothesis 3, two protective factors, higher morality and higher self-control, were shown to play a moderating role, as expected, partially buffering the criminogenic effect of cyberbullying risk factors. Specifically, it was found that morality buffered the effect of cyberbullying victimization on cyberbullying perpetration, while self-control played a role in attenuating the effect of association with cyberbullying peers. From the perspective of criminological theories, this is consistent with the aspect that is emphasized in the integrated theories of crime, such as general strain theory and situational action theory: an individual’s criminal behavior can be better explained through the interactions between risk factors derived from environmental and contextual settings and protective factors based on the individual’s traits. That is, the mechanisms of an individual’s criminal behavior can be specified as depending on the circumstances/context and individual traits that cause an increase or decrease in the likelihood of one’s involvement in crime. Although cyberbullying is often committed by those who were cyberbullied themselves because their victimization can be a source of criminogenic strain, the possibility of being involved in cyberbullying can be minimized when a cyberbullying victim has a strong moral belief that cyberbullying others is wrong, as it buffers the criminogenic effect of strain derived from his or her cyberbullying victimization. In addition, although association with cyberbullying peers increases the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration, it can also be decreased when an individual with cyberbullying peers has a high level of self-control, which is an individual’s ability to restrain their impulsive behavior in regard to immediate or short-term gratification, such as cyberbullying, as it can be a means to immediately reduce their stress given that self-control buffers the criminogenic effect of association with cyberbullying peers. These findings have both practical and theoretical implications. Regarding an effective future response to cyberbullying perpetration, although some policies that help potential perpetrators not to be exposed to the risk factors should be prioritized, it is also important to consider policies that strengthen one’s traits related to morality, conscience, deliberation, and self-constraint. For instance, we should consider providing more resources for educational programs on cyber ethics, which is expected to enhance one’s morality in cyberspace. In addition, we should also consider expanding programs or interventions that help parents provide their children with effective parenting with affection, consistency, and discipline, which is eventually associated with children’s development of self-control.

5. Conclusions

The current study found that the two proposed risk factors, cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers, were significantly and positively related to cyberbullying perpetration, while only one of the two proposed protective factors, morality, was significantly and negatively associated with cyberbullying perpetration as expected. Self-control was not a significant protective factor. As for the proposed buffering role of protective factors, our findings partially supported it. Morality successfully attenuated the criminogenic effect of cyberbullying victimization but not for that of association with cyberbullying peers. On the other hand, self-control significantly buffered the effect of cyberbullying peers, while it did not play a buffering role for the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration. Our findings show that not only those risk and protective factors but their interactions as well play an important role in predicting cyberbullying perpetration even in the South Korean context and among young adults. Given that cyberviolence perpetrated by adults is even more prevalent than that by adolescents in South Korea [ 2 ], the findings of the present study may be considered when developing more effective strategies for cyberbullying prevention.

The limitations of the current study should also be discussed. First, because the data used in this study are cross-sectional, it is difficult to examine the causality of the cyberbullying perpetration mechanism suggested in this study. Although it was found that some risk and protective factors were influential and some of the interactions between both risk and protective factors were significant, as suggested by theories of crime and delinquency, it is also possible that involvement in cyberbullying affects cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers rather than the opposite direction hypothesized in this study. Thus, future studies applying longitudinal data are needed to examine the causal mechanism by which these risk and protective factors and their interactions precede cyberbullying perpetration.

Second, although the present study shows the results of non-Western young adults, who have been relatively less studied to date, which is the strength of the current study, the features of the participants in this study may have some limitations related to external validity. That is, because the participants only included college students who were actively enrolled at seven colleges in Seoul, South Korea, it is not representative of South Korea’s entire population of young adults. In other words, the sample did not include groups such as those who did not live in Seoul and those who did not go to college. Thus, the theoretical implications of the current study may be limited, and the policy implications may not be applicable to these groups who were excluded from the sample. Therefore, we anticipate future studies with more representative samples, particularly for non-Western young adults.

Author Contributions

Writing—original draft, S.-S.L. and H.S.; writing—review and editing, S.-S.L., H.S. and J.H.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

The authors declare no funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Soongsil University (ssu-202109-HR-354-1).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Cyber-bullying and cybercrimes are seen to be on the rise today. What are the causes for this? What are the solutions for this problem?

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Many cities around the world are facing severe air pollution problems. What do you think are the main causes of this issue? Suggest some possible solutions.

This drawing guides you through the steps for making freeze-dried coffee from start to finish. this is a linear process., many believe that it is important to protect all wild animals, while others think that it is important to protect some, not all of them. discuss both views and give your opinion., . many people believe that it is good idea to have dress code at place. do you agree, some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather that secondary school. do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages.

Cyber Crime Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on cyber crime.

Cyber Crime Essay – Everybody thinks that only stealing someone’s private data is Cyber Crime. But in defining terms we can say that ‘Cyber Crime refers to the use of an electronic device (computer, laptop, etc.) for stealing someone’s data or trying to harm them using a computer.

Besides, it is an illegal activity that involves a series of issues ranging from theft to using your system or IP address as a tool for committing a crime.

Types of Cyber Crime

Speaking in a broadway we can say that Cyber Crime are categorized into four major types. These are Financial, Privacy, Hacking, and Cyber Terrorism.

The financial crime they steal the money of user or account holders. Likewise, they also stole data of companies which can lead to financial crimes. Also, transactions are heavily risked because of them. Every year hackers stole lakhs and crores of rupees of businessmen and government.

Privacy crime includes stealing your private data which you do not want to share with the world. Moreover, due to it, the people suffer a lot and some even commit suicide because of their data’s misuse.

In, hacking they intentional deface a website to cause damage or loss to the public or owner. Apart from that, they destroy or make changes in the existing websites to diminish its value.

Modern-day terrorism has grown way beyond what it was 10-20 years ago. But cyber terrorism is not just related to terrorists or terrorist organizations. But to threat some person or property to the level of creating fear is also Cyber Terrorism.

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Cyber Crime in India

Web world or cyberspace is a massive community of millions and billions of users and websites. Also, people access it for different uses like shopping, movies, music, video games, transactions, and e-commerce, etc.

In this Age of Technology and easy access to the internet, anyone can easily reach it. Because of this fast pace growth from the previous decade. Besides, the internet has opened a world of information on which anyone can connect.

Due to, this the rate of crime especially the rate of Cyber Crime has increased much fold. Moreover, the rate of circulation of data is also increased much fold due to the higher speed of internet. Above all, due to all these issues, the Cybersecurity has become a major concern for society.

Laws related to Cyber Crimes

To stop the spread of Cyber Crime and to safeguard the interest of people the government has made several laws related to Cyber Crimes. Also, these laws serve as protection against Cyber Crime. Apart from that, the government has also introduced cyber cells in police stations to counter the problem of Cyber Crime as fast as they can.

Ways of stopping Cyber Crime

Cyber Crime is not something which we cannot deal with our self. Likewise, with little use of our common sense and logic, we can stop Cyber Crimes from happening.

To conclude, we can say that Cyber Crime is a dangerous offense to someone’s privacy or any material. Also, we can avoid Cyber Crime by following some basic logical things and using our common sense. Above all, Cyber Crime is a violation of not only law but of human rights too.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{ “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the main cause of Cyber Crime?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “The greed for quick money and the desire to get famous quickly are the two main reasons of Cyber Crime. Also, most of the targets of Cyber Crime banks, businessman, financial firms, etc.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the punishment of Cyber Crime in India?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”:”If the person is found guilty then there are several punishments based on the level of crime. A simple crime can cost you a fine while a bigger crime can lead you to jail.”} }] }

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Bullying and Cyber-Bullying Essay

Bullying has become a major concern for parents and school administration all over the world because children that are victimized by bullying have to go through severe mental trauma; and if they do not get appropriate help and intervention, they are likely to suffer from extreme psychological problems that may affect their academic and lifelong performances. Therefore, it is imperative that adequate measures should be taken by the government, the school administration and the parents to counter bullying by duly intervening in such situations.

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To some parents or guardians, perhaps, the issue of bullying in schools is introduced during the very first academic year of school. It is quite possible that a number of parents remain unaware about the fact that their child is being bullied at school or in the neighborhood; as many children might not complain about being bullied. In other cases, where children do complain about being bullied, their parents, caregivers, or school teachers might not take such complaints seriously.

Thus, it is important that parents should take interest in whatever is going on in the school lives of their children, so that if they detect any disturbing signs in them, they can address the issue instantly. Keeping in view the rapidly growing rates of bullying in school, it is imperative for the teachers and the parents not to ignore the complaints of children regarding bullying.

Bullying in general has certain basic characteristics according to which it is defined:

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“Use of the three criteria of intention, repetitiveness, and imbalance of power for classification of behaviour as bullying seems now to be well accepted among both researchers and practitioners (e.g. Smith & Brain, 2000)” (Jimerson 11).

When children interact with each other, they act and respond according to their individual behaviors. In general, they can either show normal or hyper active, or sensitive, or aggressive behaviors, depending upon the type of situation they find themselves in. Bullying is such type of behavior that has three distinct qualities: intention, repetitiveness and imbalance of power.

Bullying is definitely not an unintentional behavior. A bully intentionally hurts the other child by identifying his/her weakness or sensitivity. It is normal for children to fight or quarrel during playtime. Normally, their quarrels are resolved within no time and they start playing again. But in a situation where one child is intentionally hurting the other, then they both might be gradually adopting the roles of a bully and the bullied, respectively. Their quarrels would not settle on their own but would occur perpetually.

Intentional hurtful behavior alone does not qualify as bullying; however, if such behavior is repeated over and over again, then supervising adults or teachers in a school environment should take note of it. For example, if a child is harassed on the basis of his/her race repeatedly; it can be categorized as racial bullying.

Racial and sexual bullying, both are directed towards such groups of children that belong to a specific race or gender. Such forms of collective bullying also indicate an assertion of power by a dominant individual or group of children that victimizes other groups and creates imbalance of power. An environment where one individual or a group of like-minded individuals undermines the personalities of others naturally creates imbalance of power.

Such an environment is detrimental to the growth and development of children as some tend to control the situation at their own will by compromising the interests of others. Whichever mode of bullying is chosen by the perpetrators, their main aim is to misbalance the equilibrium in any environment. By means of bullying, they try to get hold of the power share of other students and thus, boss them around at their will.

Bullying has different forms and motives but it can be broadly “…subdivided into five general categories: verbal, physical, relational, racial and sexual” (Norris 15). While each category of bullying uses different methods or reasons for bullying, each exerts the same adverse psychological effects on the victims. Children may frequently indulge in verbal abuse by which they can hurt the feelings or reputation of other children. This form of bullying is also most easily detectable and teachers or the school administration can intervene whenever a child or a group of children is using verbal tactics of bullying other kids. Physical form of bullying is an advance form of bullying through which the perpetrators use their physical prowess to hit, shove or punch their victims. It is apparent that such kind of abuse can only be directed towards physically weak or younger children that cannot defend themselves. Such violent form of bullying should be reported by the victim or onlookers to the school administration instantly and the perpetrators should be duly punished. It is also important to involve the parents or guardians of the perpetrators in sorting out this problem in order to prevent the occurrence of such incidents in the future.

Using physical violence is not only harmful for the victims but for the perpetrators as well because it might get them in trouble. The victims shall have a hard time in forgetting such incidents and the inner fear of the occurrence of such incidents in the future might create anxiety and a sense of insecurity and low self esteem. It is also possible that their physical weakness may invite other perpetrators in schools or neighborhoods to bully them the same way.

Relational, racial and sexual forms of bullying can be inflicted by either using verbal or physical ways of bullying. In relational bullying, children use social relationships to harm the emotions or reputation of other children. Spreading rumors or false accusations about someone among friends or classmates or in a social network builds a bad image of the victim.

There could be many reasons for using relational aggression or bullying against someone. Jealousy, hatred or prejudice may be some of the many reasons that could be cited for displaying such behavior. Such antagonistic attitudes not only create a lot of negativity in the victims but may also take away their interest in social activities.

It is probable that the intention of the perpetrators is not only to hurt the feelings and social reputation of their victims but to humiliate or to insult them to such an extent that they get treated as social outcasts. Racial and sexual forms of bullying affect a lot of children, and in most cases, the perpetrators bully groups of individuals on the basis of their race or gender.

Therefore, if students complain to their teachers about any racist or sexual remark, it should not be ignored, as positive intervention on the behalf of teachers or school administration in such situations shall enhance the sense of security of the victims and they shall find emotional and psychological relief. Verbal form of bullying involves sneering remarks about appearance, name calling, etc. and in recent times, this kind of bullying has evolved into cyber-bullying, where words are used through electronic media like cell phones and internet to bully someone. In this regard, cyber bullying has become more serious as the victims in many cases cannot identify the bully, if he/she is using false identity.

Cyber bullying makes it possible for the perpetrators to bully their victims at all times- thus the victims are traumatized round the clock.

“Today, children and adolescents are using internet sources such as Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, blogs and other social internet sites to pick on and harass each other…

Some researchers have also found significant gender differences in the use of cyber-bullying. Relational aggression… was a form of bullying most common among girls, uses friendships and relationships as a way to hurt others” (Daniels and Bradley 32).

While verbal bullying is experienced by children belonging to all age groups, cyber-bullying is experienced by older children that can access internet sources or mobile phones. The parameters of cyber-bullying are broader than any other kind of bullying, and it is easier to victimize someone through emails, text messages, tweets, and wall posts on Facebook than in any other way. Harassing on social media exposes the vulnerable condition of the victim and there are chances that other like-minded perpetrators also start bullying that child.

To a certain extent, this problem can be resolved by blocking such bullies from sending unwanted messages or images. Parents should also update their knowledge about this relatively new kind of technology-bullying and convince their children to let them be a part of their online social clubs or networks. This way, they would know whether their child is being bullied or bullying others.

Social networks in the cyber-space give numerous opportunities to children to participate in healthy activities. Moreover, social networks provide endless resources of learning about the rich experiences of their peers. Students can exchange a lot of information regarding their studies, or personal interests, etc.

By defaming someone in cyberspace, the victim is deprived of participating in healthy activities or of learning from the experiences of their role models or peers. Though cyber-bullying is one of the fastest ways to hurt the feelings or reputation of someone; its remedial measures are often not that strong. Dealing with verbal and physical abuse is one thing and coping with bullying through technology is another. Cyber bullying is not confined in the school computer lab, but it goes beyond the school premises and could be employed in many different ways. Teachers and school administration can only intervene if such activities are carried out on the school premises. Beyond that it is not in their control to monitor or to intervene in similar situations.

Parents and guardians should be aware about their children’s online social activities and if they discover that their children are being cyber-bullied then their positive parenting can help their kids a great deal. The major task of parents in this regard should be to guide their children to be positive and courageous about it. Parents that have inculcated high self esteem in their kids would realize that their children can handle such situations with courage. Moreover, the friends of the victim(s) can play positive role in such situations by counteracting the attacks of bullies in cyberspace. This would not only discourage the bullies but enhance the self respect and self esteem of the victims to a great extent. Thus, besides intervention by the teachers and school administration, parents and friends should build a support system for the victims to discourage the bullies and to enable the victims to handle the situation with confidence.

But the role of parents and friends does not end here, as the victims might need constant encouragement and guidance until he/she gains enough confidence to face such situations on their own. There is some basic difference in the personalities of the bullies and the bullied. Researchers have tried to find out the stereotype children that are prone to be bullied.

“Children who are shy, unassertive, and passive, with low self esteem and an anxious temperament are particularly vulnerable to bullies. Over protective parents actually increase their children’s risk of being targeted by bullies by hampering their independence and self-confidence and enhancing their sense of passivity and dependency” (Cohen 189).

It is a general fact that not all children are alike. Some are more confident than the others, while some may be shy and not so sure about themselves. Unfortunately, the latter type of children is prone to bullying on account of their weakness to defend themselves. Other traits that make some children easy targets for bullying are low self esteem and anxiety.

Therefore, it is important to inculcate self esteem in children so that they can counteract upon being bullied. It is the duty of the parents to enhance self esteem of their children by positive role playing at home. Children learn a great deal from their parents and in the absence of parental guidance, they are likely to fall victims to bullying.

For instance, in such schools and neighborhoods where the chances of racial bullying are higher, parents should beware of the risks their child might be exposed to. They should educate their children about how they might be treated in a racist environment and how they should react in a positive manner. Teaching children a positive outlook towards life helps them throughout their school and professional lives. If parents demonstrate high self esteem then children would follow in their footsteps and face bullying bravely.

Anxious temperament in children hinders their abilities to handle bullying in a positive and self assured manner. Anxiety makes it difficult for children to comprehend their miserable situation as they continue to fret over whatever is happening to them rather than trying to resolve the issue by talking to their parents, or peers or teachers.

Unfortunately, many children are exposed to bullying at a very young age, when they have hardly understood anything about complex human relationships and the ways to handle them. Keeping this in view, a number of parents exhibit over-protective attitude towards their children. In an attempt to protect their children from bullying, they might limit socializing activities of children, which is not a healthy approach. It is important to remember that positive role playing is more important than being over protective about one’s children.

Parents should make efforts to make their children more independent and self assured, rather than to pamper and to over-protect them. Passivity and dependency can only make thing worse for victimized kids because they would never attain the desired personal skills to handle bullying throughout their lives. Therefore, if children inform their parents about being bullied in school, they should instantly contact the school administration to intervene; while on their individual level, they should think about ways to improve self confidence and raising the self esteem of their kids.

It may be yet to decide whether bullying is a personality disorder or psychological or genetic problem of the perpetrator; but it definitely produces adverse psychological problems for the victims. Bullying directly affects the personality of the child being bullied in various ways.

“Words can wound and have negative effects for the victim for a long time, just like a physical attack. A major effect felt by many victims and even some onlookers in stress. This can be so great that it may affect their underlying health. Stress can increase the severity of asthma and some skin conditions” (Matthews 20).

Thus, a verbal attack can produce the same effect as a physical attack. In fact its repercussions can be felt even after a very long time. In a healthy school environment, children can focus on their academic and extracurricular activities in a great way.

However, if a child is constantly bullied at school, he/she is liable to underscore in academics and extracurricular activities. According to the above research, bullying is a stress-triggering behavior and stress definitely undermines mental and physical performance of children. If they are constantly attacked in the form of words or actions, they are bound to lose their attention on their studies and suffer inwardly for something they have no control over. The problem of bullying has been intensified over the years with the invention of cyber-bullying. Unfortunately, with the use of technology, children can now be bullied beyond the school premises or neighbourhood parks. They can be bullied even within the comforts of their homes and in the presence of their parents in the form of text messages, images or video clips sent either through mobile phones or emails.

They can be humiliated in online social networks which might force them to withdraw from all kinds of social activities out of the fear of being bullied.In this regard, the first step that could be taken is to identify bullies and special sessions should be arranged with psychiatrists for them as well, so that this problem could be addressed in two fold ways.

Taking undue stress can also take its toll on their health and problems like skin conditions and asthma. Thus, bullying does not only affect mental but physical health as well and this makes it a critical problem in schools and other places where children experience bullying. The extreme effects of bullying on the victims may lead to suicide as well.

According to a study by Yale University, “Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims” (“Bullying and Suicide”). Thus, it is clear that bullying does not merely attacks self esteem, self respect, or self confidence, or social standing, or reputation only; but it can actually make people commit suicide because their emotional and mental health are affected so badly that they lose hope to live on or to desire anything in life.

The extreme step of committing suicide by bullied children is not possibly taken instantly. Persistent bullying can have such deep psychological effects on the child that he/she may find the ultimate solution to all problems in the form of suicide. The fact that bullying can pose life-threatening risks to children is a cause of great concern for parents, teachers and the government. It is for this reason that in many countries, laws against bullying have been made and implemented in schools.

“Bullying has become a hot topic in Ontario, where the legislature passed a bill earlier this month that allows students to form gay-straight alliances and seeks to protect kids from being harassed by their peers at school” (Posadzki).

Such laws are meant to strengthen the student body, and safeguard those that are prone to bullying. This way, students would be able to directly combat the problem of bullying at school, and the fact that they are backed by law would definitely give them morale boost.

Other countries should also develop anti-bullying policies in schools and support those student bodies that can actively participate in anti-bullying campaigns in schools. Bullied children should be given professional help to cope with the trauma of bullying and steps should be taken to enhance their self esteem and confidence so that they may be able to cope with bullying on their own. A strong and positive social support system is required to protect the bullied and to discourage the bullies in schools and other places where such incidents are likely to happen.

Works Cited

Cohen, J. Lisa. The Handy Psychology Answer Book. Canton: Visible Ink Press, 2011. Print.

Daniels, A. Jeffrey and Mary C. Bradley. Preventing Lethal School Violence. New York: Springer, 2011. Print.

Jimerson, R. Shane. Handbook of Bullying in Schools: An International Perspective. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print.

Matthews, Gail. How to Stop Bullying: A Guide for Parents. Ebookboxs. 2009. Ebook.

Norris, T. Marty. The Prevalence of Bullying in Central Florida Middle Schools as Perceived by Students. East Eisenhower Parkway: ProQuest LLC, 2008. Print.

Posadzki, Alexandra. “Scholars embrace Ontario anti-bullying law, call for national strategy.” The Canadian Press. 19 Jun 2012. Web. 20 June 2012.

“Scholars embrace Ontario anti-bullying law, call for national strategy.” Web. 20 June 2012.

“Bullying and Suicide.” Bullying Statistics. n.d. Web. 20 June 2012.

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Cyberbullying: The Cybercrime of the Century

Once upon a time, bullying was an issue that primarily lived on the schoolyard. That is no longer the case. Enter "cyberbullying" — a growing problem for many schools. And in its worst forms, cyberbullying can actually be a type of cybercrime.

What is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying takes place when a teen or younger child uses a computing device to threaten, humiliate, or otherwise harass a peer. It may occur over a laptop, smartphone or tablet, and live within platforms such as text messages, emails, social media, online forums and chat rooms. Equipped with an Internet connection and a capable device, cyberbullies can wreak havoc on their victims at any time, from virtually anywhere. And because the act doesn't require face-to-face interactions like physical bullying, catching the perpetrators in timely fashion can be difficult.

Examples of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying takes many cruel shapes and forms. A bully may send messages via text or email with the intent of taunting or threatening his or her victim. In more malicious instances, they may break into email or social networking accounts to either steal victims' identities or embarrass them by publishing defamatory posts in their names. Some cyberbullies go as far as building a website aimed at humiliating their chosen target.

Trends in cyberbullying tend to vary among the sexes. For example, male bullies have been known threaten other boys with physical harm, yet harass females with sexual advances through text messages. Girls, on the other hand, may expose secrets or spread lies and rumors about other girls to extract revenge for perceived wrongdoings. Some play the role of "mean girls" by making discouraging remarks on social sites and excluding peers from online cliques.

The Repercussions of Cyberbullying

For the victims, the effects of bullying in any form may range from feeling hurt and angry to hated and suicidal. It is not uncommon for those targeted in these barbarous acts to develop low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and other issues that could potentially compromise their mental and emotional health. Cyberbullying can have an even greater impact on its victims because of the channels the harassment takes place in. For example, sensitive information shared via email can be sent to dozens of classmates, while embarrassing photos can reach thousands of people once social media is involved.

From Cyberbullying to Cybercrime

Although legal regulations are still developing in the fast-moving world of social networking online, cyberbullying can cross over into cybercrime . In 2011, two girls, one 11, the other 12, were charged with cyberstalking and first-degree computer trespassing for the crimes they allegedly committed against another 12-year-old girl, who was identified as a former friend. The pair was accused of posting sexually explicit photos and messages on the victim's Facebook profile after getting ahold of her password. Both defendants faced up to 30 days in a juvenile detention center for their alleged crimes. This case is just one example of how cyberbullying can result in a cybercrime that violates existing laws. At the same time, it underlines the growing importance of Internet safety for kids .

Stamping out Cyberbullies

The best defense against cyberbullying is prevention, and parents can play an active role in the process by monitoring their child's digital activities. In addition to making sure you are aware of who they communicate with via phone and text, you can use Internet security software to block access to inappropriate content online. Most importantly, talk to your kids about cyberbullying. Make sure they know it's OK to come to you, a teacher, counselor, or someone else they trust. The sooner they speak up, the sooner someone can put an end to the madness.

Other articles and links related to Cyberbullying

• How to Provide Internet Safety for Kids
• Infographic: Internet Safety for Kids
• Kaspersky Internet Security Software

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Osun sets up committee to tackle fake news, cyber bullying

O sun State Government has announced its decision to set up a Cyber Crime Action Committee to give effect to relevant provisions of the law with respect to cyber crimes, cyber bullying and deliberate online false news.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, on Sunday said the move was meant to tackle the prevalence of fake news in Osun State.

Alimi explained that “the step became necessary to sanitise the governance space and ensure that politicking and governance take place under an atmosphere of responsibility, decency and honesty.”

The development was coming on the heels of war of words on the social media platforms between supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress on issues relating to governance in the state.

The exchanges often degenerate to name calling among members of the two parties.

The commissioner, however, posited that the increasing wave of fake news negatively affects both the government and the opposition, stressing that the time has come that all operators be brought within the compass of the law.

He said, “The committee domiciled at the Ministry of Justice has as members journalists and legal practitioners. The mandate is to ensure that fake news are nipped in the bid, no matter who the perpetrators are.

“The committee is to apply relevant sections of the Cybercrime Act of 2015 as operational clauses to ensure all stakeholders operate within the law in the exercise and enjoyment of their fundamental human rights.

“Section 24 (1) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 reads: ‘A person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be sent, or he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000, 000.00 or imprisonment for a term, not more than three years or both.”

He disclosed that the committee would host its maiden meeting on Monday while affirming the commitment of Governor Ademola Adeleke to the delivery of good governance.