US Laws Cannot Prevent Cyber-Bullying - Essay Example

Name of the Student] [Name of the Professor] [Name of the Course] [Date] US Laws Cannot Prevent Cyber Bullying Introduction Much harsher punishments are required to deter cyber bullying in the US. This work deals with the issues pertaining to the effectiveness of the cyber bullying strategies adopted in the US. As such, this work claims that the US should formulate and implement stringent laws to deter cyber bullying. Cyber bullying can be described as defaming, insulting, threatening or deliberately harassing other individuals via contemporary communication techniques. Such harassment is, in general, for protracted periods. Cyber bulling transpires on the Internet or over the telephone[Ove15]. In the majority of the instances, the offender, who is termed the bully, acts anonymously, and the victim fails to realize the source of such attacks. There are certain similarities between the definition of bullying and cyber bullying. All the same, there is a conspicuous absence of consensus regarding the more explicit traits of cyber bullying. Such divergence can be attributed to its fundamental intricacy and the presence of several types of such bullying. The latter can be categorized on the basis of the procedures adopted to carry out such activity, including electronic mail, cellular phones, text messages, web sites, social networks and online games[Ove15]. In addition, these means of carrying out cyber bullying are employed to a greater extent in a particular age group in comparison to another age group. Thesis Statement US should put harsher punishment to the act of Cyber bullying Analysis Cyber bullying has adverse effects upon the victim. Consequently, harsher punishments have to be imposed on the perpetrators of this offense. For instance, it has been claimed by scholars, such as Hinduja and Patchin that cyber bullying victimization can be regarded as a genre of offending that could culminate in delinquent conduct. A study by Hay, Meldrum and Mann, disclosed that cyber bullying victimization increased future offending significantly, in addition to promoting self-harm and suicidal ideation. As such, cyber bullying was seen to have a higher influence on future offending, in comparison to physical bullying. In a study by Wright and Li, it was observed that cyber bullying victimization and peer rejection presaged future online aggression[Hol15]. Moreover, cyber bullying had the undesirable effect of enhancing aggression whenever it transpired in conjunction with peer rejection. Furthermore, the advent of the World Wide Web, smartphones, and Computer-Mediated Communications has effected a major transformation in the manner in which individuals interact offline, as well as online. The people who indulge in criminal activity or other socially unacceptable activities resort to technology to interact with each other in ways that would not be possible in the real world, on account of risk of detection, social stigma, or shame. Thus, technology provides a plethora of opportunities to engage in wrongdoing via technology[Hol15]. Consequently, it is essential to make legislation that restricts, if not eliminates, the proliferation of cyber bullying. It has to be conceded that cyber bullying laws have not been implemented effectively. The outcome has been the proliferation of this terrible offense. In addition, the laws relating to cyber bullying and online harassment are considerably limited at the federal level. On the other hand, the states depict a greater involvement in curtailing this vicious crime[McQ09]. Hence, it is crucial to impose restrictive measures upon cyber bullying, as it exerts adverse effects on victims. Some of these adverse effects are; headaches and stomachaches. In addition, cyber bullying generates several psychological problems, such as suicidal tendencies, reduced self-esteem, anxiety and depression[Ove15]. Furthermore, cyber bullying is associated with other types of aggressive and violent behaviors. Until the recent past, there had been no specific laws to deal with cyber bullying. The increasing instances of cyber bullying with fatal outcomes, compelled legislators to enact laws to deal with this menace. As such, cyber bullying has adverse effects upon mental health and promotes substance use and suicide. Therefore, it is vitally important to converse with the young people and determine whether they are being subjected to such bullying. Several child victims of cyber bullying develop enhanced feelings of loneliness and sadness, transformed eating and sleeping patterns, and disinterest in the activities that they had enjoyed. It is indispensable for the cyber bullying laws to provide for stringent punishment for offenders, without permitting any means of evading punishment. As such, no cyber bully should be let off without having been subjected to severe punishment. Bullying is unrestricted and frequently exposes the victim to great danger. Upon coming across an instance of bullying, people should adopt the measures required to bring such activity to an end. Many individuals find cyber bullying to have an impact upon their daily lives, and it proves to be a constant source of worry and distress. Cyber bullying has benefitted tremendously due to the free availability of mobile technology. This pernicious activity persists throughout the day and spills over to the next day. In short, its effect is persistent, and it has caused many tragic events, such as suicide and self-harm. The need of the hour is to take much greater care in order to safeguard the vulnerable from cyber bullying. In addition to appearing different from traditional bullying, cyber bullying creates several explicit challenges in addressing it. This is especially true with regard to adults who interact with children, including educators and parents. With regard to the correlation between cyber bullying and bullying, the MSNBC had claimed that kids could engage in considerable cruelty, and that kids could be cruel on an international scale with technology. Cyber bullying, per se, constitutes a system of bullying that has emerged from the technological advances of the past two decades. Some of the cardinal advances that have facilitated cyber bullying are the cellular phone and the Internet[Kow12]. The grim reality of the situation is that cyber bullies believe that they can evade identification forever. Insulting others in a virtual community could at worst lead to the disablement of one’s account. This is the perception among cyber bullies, and it tends to embolden them[Lup12]. In addition, cyber bullying is promoted to a major extent, due to parental attitude. The majority of the parents find it difficult to accept that their children indulge in this offense. As a consequence, they adopt a defensive posture and reject all suggestions and complaints about their children, in this respect. This serves to embolden the offenders. It is the need of the hour for such parents to adopt a rational attitude and concede the fact that the majority of the people could support or directly undertake cyber bullying behavior at some stage of their life. Most importantly, a child who indulges in cyber bullying conduct does not do so all the time. As such, the Internet and modern communications, in combination with the possibility of posting information anonymously, has induced some of the young people to decry others and to make disparaging remarks about them[Kow12]. This reprehensible behavior can be curtailed, if not eradicated, whenever parents educate their children about the iniquity of cyber bullying and convince them to desist from it. Nevertheless, the Internet makes it possible for a large number of children and youth to view this vast planet of ours, in all its diversity. It provides a fantastic amount of information that would otherwise have been very difficult to access. In addition, such technology provides a means for creating and maintaining social contacts. This could be of immense help to some people, especially those who tend to be reticent or who are introverts[Kow12]. In fact, the majority of the children and adults who use the Internet and related technologies regard their experiences positively. During the past decade, cyber bullying has emerged as a novel variety of violent conduct, with respect to electronic communication. This has been promoted and preserved by the plethora of communication means that technological progress has enabled[Ove15]. Moreover, social disengagement and absence of inhibition have encouraged cyber bullying. The separation from victims, due to the technological interface, provides these offenders with the benefit of not having to address the immediate psychological impact caused by them to their victims. Cyber bullying is a complex offense and this distinguishes it from the more familiar physical bullying. Cyber bullying can transpire via several methods, including chats, digital images and cellular phones. Conclusion Cyber bullying laws have to be rendered much more stringent, and should be made fool-proof, so that no offender can escape punishment. Computers and the Internet have effected a profound transformation in the manner in which people communicate with each other, conduct business, and interact with the world. This change has been very rapid. Albeit, the advantages to be derived from such technologies are vast, they have produced a range of threats to national security and personal safety. The outcome is that individuals have to persistently identify these threats and the manner in which technologies are being misused by offenders for the purpose of engaging in criminal conduct. In addition, cyber bullying is a problem of the world, as it is perpetrated on the Internet, which admits of no boundaries. Cyber bullying produces adverse outcomes among its victims, and this justifies the necessity for sever punishment for this offense. It has an adverse influence upon every facet of the victim’s life. Upon being subjected to cyber bullying, the victims should report the abuse to the concerned social media website. In addition, take and store screenshots of the abuse. Moreover, report the matter to law enforcement authorities. In addition, the cyber bully cannot function under total autonomy. Such information can be accessed only by the police. Children, upon receiving rude comments, should be brought to the notice of their parents. This will enable them to take up the issue with the concerned authorities. However, laws could be better placed to safeguard children targeted by adults the laws could not prevent cyber bullying by the young people, as the majority of these people did not understand cyber bullying. The act of criminalizing minor forms of cyber bullying could serve to draw many children into the criminal justice system, which would be counter-productive. Works Cited Agatston, Patricia W, et al. Cyberbullying: Bullying in the Digital Age. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print. Bossler, Adam M, Kathryn C Seigfried-Spellar and Thomas J Holt. Cybercrime and Digital Forensics: An Introduction. New York, NY, USA: Routledge, 2015. Print. Colt, James P, Nancy B B Meyer and Samuel C McQuade. Cyber Bullying: Protecting Kids and Adults from Online Bullies. Westport, Connecticut, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print. Larrañaga, Elisa, Raúl Navarro and Santiago Yubero. Cyberbullying Across the Globe: Gender, Family, and Mental Health. Cham (ZG), Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG, 2015. Print. Luppicini, Rocci. Ethical Impact of Technological Advancements and Applications in Society. Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA: IGI Global, 2012. Print. Read More

Thus, technology provides a plethora of opportunities to engage in wrongdoing via technology[Hol15]. Consequently, it is essential to make legislation that restricts, if not eliminates, the proliferation of cyber bullying. It has to be conceded that cyber bullying laws have not been implemented effectively. The outcome has been the proliferation of this terrible offense. In addition, the laws relating to cyber bullying and online harassment are considerably limited at the federal level. On the other hand, the states depict a greater involvement in curtailing this vicious crime[McQ09].

Hence, it is crucial to impose restrictive measures upon cyber bullying, as it exerts adverse effects on victims. Some of these adverse effects are; headaches and stomachaches. In addition, cyber bullying generates several psychological problems, such as suicidal tendencies, reduced self-esteem, anxiety and depression[Ove15]. Furthermore, cyber bullying is associated with other types of aggressive and violent behaviors. Until the recent past, there had been no specific laws to deal with cyber bullying.

The increasing instances of cyber bullying with fatal outcomes, compelled legislators to enact laws to deal with this menace. As such, cyber bullying has adverse effects upon mental health and promotes substance use and suicide. Therefore, it is vitally important to converse with the young people and determine whether they are being subjected to such bullying. Several child victims of cyber bullying develop enhanced feelings of loneliness and sadness, transformed eating and sleeping patterns, and disinterest in the activities that they had enjoyed.

It is indispensable for the cyber bullying laws to provide for stringent punishment for offenders, without permitting any means of evading punishment. As such, no cyber bully should be let off without having been subjected to severe punishment. Bullying is unrestricted and frequently exposes the victim to great danger. Upon coming across an instance of bullying, people should adopt the measures required to bring such activity to an end. Many individuals find cyber bullying to have an impact upon their daily lives, and it proves to be a constant source of worry and distress.

Cyber bullying has benefitted tremendously due to the free availability of mobile technology. This pernicious activity persists throughout the day and spills over to the next day. In short, its effect is persistent, and it has caused many tragic events, such as suicide and self-harm. The need of the hour is to take much greater care in order to safeguard the vulnerable from cyber bullying. In addition to appearing different from traditional bullying, cyber bullying creates several explicit challenges in addressing it.

This is especially true with regard to adults who interact with children, including educators and parents. With regard to the correlation between cyber bullying and bullying, the MSNBC had claimed that kids could engage in considerable cruelty, and that kids could be cruel on an international scale with technology. Cyber bullying, per se, constitutes a system of bullying that has emerged from the technological advances of the past two decades. Some of the cardinal advances that have facilitated cyber bullying are the cellular phone and the Internet[Kow12].

The grim reality of the situation is that cyber bullies believe that they can evade identification forever. Insulting others in a virtual community could at worst lead to the disablement of one’s account. This is the perception among cyber bullies, and it tends to embolden them[Lup12]. In addition, cyber bullying is promoted to a major extent, due to parental attitude. The majority of the parents find it difficult to accept that their children indulge in this offense. As a consequence, they adopt a defensive posture and reject all suggestions and complaints about their children, in this respect.

This serves to embolden the offenders. It is the need of the hour for such parents to adopt a rational attitude and concede the fact that the majority of the people could support or directly undertake cyber bullying behavior at some stage of their life.

Read More