Cyberbullying
This week’s readings revolved around the concept of cyberbullying and the history of communication. One of the things that surprised me most about the readings were the fact that there were some legislative measures that took place to help prevent and reduce cyberbullying in the UK. While bullying in and of itself might not be more prevalent than before, it is harder to get away from with the advent of technology. Interestingly enough, those who tend to cyber bully were more often than not victims themselves. Personally, I would have thought that there would be more of a disconnect.
The thing that stood out to me most in the readings was the concept of rural versus urban bullying. For those that live in a rural setting, it tends to be harder to escape bullying as they are limited by geography whereas victims of bullying in urban settings have many more school options, after school activities and sports to choose from.
I’m interested to see what discussion Thursday is like and just how much the dark web can tie into the concept of cyberbullying as well. Stay tuned.
“The History of Communication Technology.” Conference Calls Unlimited – Easy, Reliable, Affordable. Accessed March 30, 2019. https://www.conferencecallsunlimited.com/history-of-communication-technology/
Konnikova, Maria, and Maria Konnikova. “How the Internet Has Changed Bullying.” The New Yorker. June 19, 2017. Accessed March 30, 2019. https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/how-the-internet-has-changed-bullying
Salter, Michael, and Chris Bryden. 2009. “I Can See You: Harassment and Stalking on the Internet.” Information & Communications Technology Law 18 (2): 99–122. doi:10.1080/13600830902812830. https://umw-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com:443/UMW:Everything:TN_tayfranc10.1080/13600830902812830
Hood, Michelle and Amanda Duffy. “Understanding the Relationship between Cyber-victimisation and Cyber-bullying on Social Network Sites: The Role of Moderating Factors.” Personality and Individual Differences 133 (2017): 103-108. https://www-sciencedirect-com.umw.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0191886917302556
I also found the difference between rural and urban schools to be interesting. Coming from a rural school district, I’ve witnessed a lot of bullying and cyberbullying in my high school. Our school was really small so when someone was being bullied, most of the school knew about it. Everybody knew everybody and it was hard to switch between friend groups. There also wasn’t the option of transferring schools. We had one elementary, one middle, and one high school in my entire county. Students and their families would have to pay for a public school in another district that would also be a 30-45 minute drive. Bullying was definitely a big problem within my small, rural school. It makes sense that in an urban school things might be different, especially in a big school as well. I think it would be easier for students to avoid their bullies and to transfer. However, students in rural and small schools don’t have the same options.