How Are Students and School Communities Being Affected by Cyber Bullying and What Strategies Are Available for School Counselors in Preventing and Dealing with Cyber Bullying at School?

Abstract

My research reflects on the effects of cyber bullying in schools and what strategies are available for school counselors. Cyber bullying is the use of any ICT device to intimidate, harass, victimize, or bully an individual or a group of individuals. This may include sending or posting harmful material through email, instant messaging, and social networking sites. Chat rooms, web sites, blogs, and text messages, pictures or video clips via mobile phones. In my research I have drawn upon recently published literature journal articles, newspaper articles, brochures on the school–prevention of cyber bullying that explore qualitative and quantitative data from participants in kindergarten up until first year college. I have learned that it is through educating our youth on the effects of cyber bullying that takes the first step towards preventing it in and outside our schools. There are many programs that are available for schools to educate youth o the dangers behind online bullying but researchers have encouraged more proving to be done in the area of family violence and drug and alcohol abuse. A lot of research on cyber bullying focuses on the victim but little is done regarding the bully and the reason behind their choice to be involved in cyber bullying acts. Some research has suggested that lower economic status can contribute to higher levels of violence in the home and increase in the use of drugs and alcohol in youth therefore heighten the rise of youth becoming involved in online bullying acts.