This article focuses on the nature and the extent of cyber bullying among adolescents. Cyberbullying occurs when technologies such as computers and mobile phones are used to harass or bully somebody. Cyber bullies use SMS, e-mail, chat-rooms and social gathering sites such as Face Book or My Space to spread their hateful message. I can recall being bullied in middle school. I was either called unfriendly names, intentionally tripped in the classroom, and worst of all spat at. All these forms of bullying was done face to face. In Beran and Li's article she notes that peer harassment or bullying was traditionally viewed as a face-to-face encounter between a bully and a victim mostly surrounded by an audience of peers. Sadly though it has not gone away instead it has evolved with the increase of network computers and mobile phones access among adolescents. Children as young as 7 years old have cell phones or access to one and children as young as 5 have access to school and home computers. Beran and Li's article mentions that children who are cyber bullied are the ones who are traditionally harassed face to face in the schools. I agree, there is a connection with both forms of harassment, face-to-face bullying can spills over into cyberbullying and cyberbullying can lead into face-to-face confrontation. Cyber bullies usually target people they know directly or indirectly. Most students who cyber bully or have been cyberbullied don’t discuss it with their parents or teachers, most of the adults don’t know how to pick up on some of the signs. Beran and LI suggest students, teachers, administrators, and parents need to be educated on cyberbullying. This will diminish some of the misconceptions and attitudes about bullying in schools and cyberspace and give way to providing the support students need.
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