Mental Health & Cyberbullying

In my previous post, I looked at cyberbullying, what is it and the various ways in which it may be operationalized. This post’s focus will be on the negative psychosocial effects of cyberbullying.

Research shows that individuals who are victims of cyberbullying are almost always also victims of face-to-face bullying. These persons usually suffer from depression, isolation and a lack of acceptance from their peer groups, which only worsens the situation. These forms of treatments lead to maladaptive behaviors, most significantly low self-esteem amongst others. (Cowie, 2013).

Additionally, victims of cyberbullying continuously exhibit decreased academic achievement, frequently experience psychosomatic symptoms and are at an increased risk of committing suicide (Cowie, 2013).

In conclusion, it is imperative that we be very cautious of our conduct and etiquette online. The above mentioned effects of cyberbullying are but a few, and can be completely avoided if we are constantly cognizant of the way in which we treat others in an online social environment.




References
Cowie, H. (2013). Cyberbullying and its impact on young people’s emotional health and well-being. The Psychiatrist, 37, 67-170. doi 10.1192/pb.bp.112.040840 or http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/pbrcpsych/37/5/167.full.pdf




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