A relationship between being a victim of cyber-bullying and adolescent emotional well-being - Essay Example

Cyberbullying is an exceptional bullying that has increased a significant amount of attention in the recent past. There is much literature concerning online harassment and cyberbullying; most of these studies have concentrated on the prevalence cyberbullying behaviors among school students. Few of them have established a relationship between self-esteem and cyberbullying. Which seems to be a key contributor of criminal behavior and academic performance and other behaviors associated with the adolescent development (Hinduja & Patchini, 2010a).

Hinduja & Patchini defines self-esteem as “a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the self.”( Hinduja & Patchini, pg. 1. It can also be said to “an internal representation of social acceptance and rejection, and a psychological gauge monitoring the degree to which a person is included vs. excluded by others.” (Hinduja & Patchini 2010, pg.1). From these two views self-esteem is a perception about ones belief, and it is affected by an individual participation in the social world. In practice, cyberbullying behaviors are often the same as relational, psychological and indirect forms of traditional bullying.

For example, harassment, rumor spreading, exclusion and threatening. However, there are a number of characteristics that distinguish the two forms. First, cyberbullies always remain anonymous, but research has shown that most victims always know who is bullying them within the social cycle. Second, the absence of regulatory institutions that manage cyberspace interactions makes it hard for the bullies to be found. According to Tokunaga (2010), more than 97% of the youth are able to reach one another through internet.

Computer and other electronic technology have been at the center of evolution of human behavior. As oppose to the benefits that come along with technology, the youth has taken the advantage of it and are now