Peer to peer bullying is nothing new. It has been going on for generation after generation, however, the times have now changed since new technology has made it possible for peers to bully one another without even having to be face to face. Cyber bullying is a national disaster and it is also a huge topic that a lot of times is not taken seriously until something bad happens. It is a newer type of bullying, and people are trying to figure out what can be done. Cyber bullying has serious effects but is starting to be addressed and can be prevented in some ways.
Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person and this problem normally goes towards young people. Sometimes cyberbullying can be easy to spot, for example, if your child shows you a text, tweet, or response to a status update on Facebook that is harsh, mean, or cruel. Other acts are less obvious, like impersonating a victim online or posting personal information, photos, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass another person. Some teenagers report that a fake account, webpage, or online persona has been created with the sole intention to harass and bully.
Young teens in the world today don't always grasp that there are consequences for their actions, they feel almost invincible and that they can get away with anything, especially on the internet. Most of the sites visited by teens are websites where someone can be whoever they want, all someone have to do is create a username and password and they are in, saying whatever they want to someone on the other side of the screen. "In a survey of 4500 students, the Cyberbullying Research Center asked students between the ages of 10-18 some questions about cyber bullying and found that 20 percent of the students have been cyber bullied in their lifetime. Out of those 20 percent, they found that 17 percent of them had been cyber bullied more than once in the past 30 days (this survey was taken in February 2010).
