Establishing the Links between Cyberbullying and Mental Health Problems in Adolescents University

The statistic certifies that 61% of overweight youths have been bullied while 70% have seen cyberbullying taking place (The 2018 Guide to Cyberbullying Awareness, 2018). The statistics also show that 10% of fatalities only report the cases. Females more prone than males to cyberbullying. In most cases, victims are cyberbullied by their friends. The statistics also show that victims of intimidations are 2:9 times more likely to commit suicide. The victim, therefore, cannot act on their own and resorts to aggressive behaviour including self-harm tendencies (Owusu, 2018). Also, Goebert et al. (2011) define cyberbullying as the “wilful and repeated harm inflicted using computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices”. The main difference between bullying and cyberbullying is that cyberbullying is based on the criteria of anonymity and publicity. The lack of victim’s knowledge of the bully makes the victim feel hopeless and powerless and more susceptible to physical bullying because he or she lives in chronic fear of being embarrassed and humiliated.

Depression occurs because of mental distress associated with cyberbullying. The victims of cyberbullying have characteristically low household income. Adolescents who have been victimized are prone to substance abuse. This is similar to the personal account given in Owusu (2018) and suggests the reason for observed misuse of drugs among victims of cyberbullying. Hase et al. Cyberbullying victims are also victims of bullying. There is a strong relationship between cyberbullying and negative mental outcomes. However, the relationship is weaker when compared with that between bullying and mental health problems (Beran et al. Cyberbullying, therefore, has no direct and unique relationship with negative psychological symptoms when compared with bullying. This contradicts Bannink et al. The programs should be intensive, long lasting and include parents.

The programs should include punishments for misconduct and increased activity supervision. Programs teaching safety on the internet and limiting risky online behaviour could prevent cyberbullying (Wright, 2018). The intervention does not, however, lead to a change in risky online behaviour. Other traditional methods include parental mediation where parents set rules regarding their children’s use of electronic technologies. Thus, if cyberbullying is bend out this right off the bat in their age, they are not liable to proceed down that way. Eliminating cyberbullying takes a lot of time, however, in the event that the government acknowledges that cyberbullying is a challenge, regulations and strict laws can be enacted to reduce the vice. To sum up, educators, parents and law requirement all need to take alert in viewing over kids with a specific end goal to abstain from cyberbullying.

In the event that everybody meets up including guardians, law authorization and teachers meet up, at that point cyberbullying can be halted. In the event that everybody starts to cooperate, this implies next time when 12 to 17-year olds adolescent sign onto the web, possibly they won't be casualties of cyberbullying. , Mishna, F. , McInroy, L. B. , & Shariff, S. Children's experiences of cyberbullying: A Canadian national study. Y. The impact of cyberbullying on substance use and mental health in a multiethnic sample.  Maternal and child health journal, 15(8), 1282-1286. Hase, C. N. , Blais, M. , Lavoie, F. , & Guerrier, M. Child sexual abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, and mental health problems among high schools students: a moderated mediated model.  Depression and anxiety, 33(7), 623-629. Artefact – The destructive nature of cyberbullying.