Digital Violence and its Victims

Technology has become a staple in our lives, one that's required in one method or another to finish many day-to-day activities. 

With technology comes many advantages:

• Computers, phones, and tablets with valuable data are often tracked if lost or stolen.
• You'll automatically sync pictures, files, and important links on all of your accessible devices, saving time and securing information if one of the devices is no longer available.
• Technology helps us to learn: It provides us access to virtually any information we desire.

Check out: Is Cyber Security a Concern when it comes to Online Learning?

However, the very technology that wants to keep people safe is one among the foremost dangerous tools exploited to stalk, control, harass, and hunt victims and survivors. Digital abusers use technology to isolate, threaten, gaslight, and further intimidate victims.

Bullying and Cyberbullying

Bullying in schools  is defined as the practice of “unwanted and aggressive behavior among the school-aged children that involves a true or perceived power imbalance.” 

Cyberbullying is digital bullying. This might be conducted through social media networks, text messages, or emails. There are many methods that are used for cyberbullying such as spreading false rumors, spreading embarrassing information about someone, or even sending hateful messages.

Impact of Cyberbullying

With the increased cruelty of cyberbullying comes a deeper impact on the ones involved. The consequences of cyberbullying are in some ways worse than traditional bullying, infiltrating a part of a victim’s life and causing psychological struggles. In some cases, teenagers commit suicide due to cyberbullying.

Long term sufferings of the victims

Victims of cyberbullying may experience long-term emotional, attentional, and behavioral problems. They experience trust issues and are also more likely to get in contact with alcohol or drugs at an earlier age.  Although there is no physical threat, victims of cyberbullying continue to suffer from physical symptoms. They report frequent headaches and stomach pain that are often related to nervousness.

Emotional changes

Many victims of cyberbullying will get angry about what's happening to them. In fact, research indicates that anger is the commonest response to cyberbullying (followed by being upset and worried). 

If the child seems angry over cyberbullying, it's good if you take them to talk with a counselor or therapist who can teach them to channel that anger in various productive ways.

Sufferings of the victim

Victims can suffer due to cyberbullying long after it ends. Being bullied can cause low self-esteem for life. This might cause chronic fatigue, insomnia, and poor performance in class or at work. Depression isn't uncommon, with some victims feeling an overall sense of hopelessness and worthlessness about their lives.

Also, the long-term effects of cyberbullying can have life-threatening problems. Nearly 20 percent of cyberbullying victims report having suicidal thoughts, which is consistent with the cyberbullying research facility. Several high-profile suicides are blamed on cyberbullying. These tragic events have led to increasing attention on the difficulty, with prevention efforts becoming a priority.

Also read: Vigilant Parenting during the Age of Social Media