What Makes you Different...
Often times it's what makes people different that causes others to bully them. We have provided a brief overview with some major differences that often cause bullying.
Sexual Orientation
Individuals who identify with the LGBT community are more likely to be cyberbullied for their sexual identities than their heterosexual counterparts. In a recent study at Iowa State University, 54% of the youths (ages 11-22) out of a study population of 445 individuals reported being cyberbullied within 30 days previous to the survey (Moore, E.A., 2010). These students report feeling the same feelings as other students who are cyberbullied. They feel depressed, embarrassed, and anxious to return to school as a result of cyberbullying. These feelings can lead some students to commit suicide as an escape. Students who identify themselves as a part of the LGBT community are at increased risk for cyberbullying as well as traditional bullying because of their differences.
Race
Some people assume that online communication will decrease racism because the participants may be unaware of your race and thus cannot use it to discriminate against you or use it to make racist comments like they could during face-to-face communication. However, aspects of online communication such anonymity can actually increase racist comments when the participants are aware of each other's races or can infer someone's race through the dialect and/or euphemisms they use. For example, someone may take advantage of the fact that the internet provides them anonymity to hurl racist insults at a classmate without the fear of the consequences of becoming a known racist to everyone around them. In addition, the internet provides an outlet for racially based extremist groups, like the KKK, to spread hate and gain members online. Racists can form their own self educating communities online to share articles and chat about issues that interest them. This leads to the participants all becoming more radicalized through the discussion of their shared hatred for an entire race of people or even focusing their cyberbullying on specific victims, such as local people or businesses.
Disability
The bullying of students with special needs can sometimes be considered a silent problem. Many kids with disabilities are unable to speak up when they are bullied, for a variety of reasons. Some kids with disabilities are afraid to speak up, or are afraid that talking about being bullied might lead them to be further ostracized. Some students don’t have the ability to fully communicate the fact that they are being bullied.
In addition, some students have social skill disabilities, so they have trouble understanding the meaning behind the actions of others, whether in person or in cyber space. This can be especially dangerous, because bullies can influence kids to do things they would not normally do.
Students with these social deficits or cognitive disabilities are especially susceptible to bullying and cyber bullying. One example: a general education student, “Billy,” started talking to a girl with Down syndrome, “Sally.” Billy said “Sally, we’re friends.” Now Sally knew that it was a good thing to be friends with other students, so she was happy to know they were friends. What she was not able to understand was that Billy was not truly her friend; he was just using her. He wrote her threatening Facebook messages and convinced her to steal money from her mother’s purse.
These students are already aware they are different. A lot of their interactions with others are attempts to be included. Because of this, these students are especially at risk for being taken advantage of by others.
It is important for parents and teachers to monitor students’ use of technology, especially when they have cognitive disabilities or social disabilities. Parents and teachers need to check to make sure they are not being used for sinister purposes.
In addition, some students have social skill disabilities, so they have trouble understanding the meaning behind the actions of others, whether in person or in cyber space. This can be especially dangerous, because bullies can influence kids to do things they would not normally do.
Students with these social deficits or cognitive disabilities are especially susceptible to bullying and cyber bullying. One example: a general education student, “Billy,” started talking to a girl with Down syndrome, “Sally.” Billy said “Sally, we’re friends.” Now Sally knew that it was a good thing to be friends with other students, so she was happy to know they were friends. What she was not able to understand was that Billy was not truly her friend; he was just using her. He wrote her threatening Facebook messages and convinced her to steal money from her mother’s purse.
These students are already aware they are different. A lot of their interactions with others are attempts to be included. Because of this, these students are especially at risk for being taken advantage of by others.
It is important for parents and teachers to monitor students’ use of technology, especially when they have cognitive disabilities or social disabilities. Parents and teachers need to check to make sure they are not being used for sinister purposes.