By: Lyka Jane Pejante
The adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me” does not apply in the world of Internet technology, where false, hurtful or humiliating comments can go viral and global in just seconds.
Today, everyone has access to the internet and can surf the web. However, even with this amazing technology, a new type of bullying is on the rise – Cyberbullying. This is a very big problem, especially for children and teens, since their generation is very attached to cellphones and computers, sometimes even online games.
Many negative signs could occur on a child or teen if they are victims of cyberbullying, the most common ones are developing depression and anxiety, although it can also cause low self-esteem, withdrawal from family and friends, and may even induce self-harm. Cyberbullying can take many forms: sending mean messages and false rumor through text, posting hurtful or threatening messages on social media, pretending to be someone else just to hurt someone, or taking unflattering pictures of someone and spreading them through the internet. These are very common in social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.
There are three treatments you can get for a victim of bullying:
Transactional analysis: This type of therapy deals with connecting past trauma to current issues. Children or adults that still cling to feelings of fear or anxiety due to past bullying may need help overcoming them to deal with the present.
Assertiveness training: People who are bullied often need help building their confidence to stand up to bullies. This type of therapy helps them learn techniques to do so.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is effective in retraining a person’s behavior or thoughts to make a positive change in his or her daily life. Many kids who are bullied tend to develop certain safety behaviors to deal with depression or anxiety, and CBT helps them overcome these.
Of course, its is not only the victim we should focus on, we should also focus on the bully. Kids who bully often need help with misplaced anger. In some cases, are also suffering from some form of abuse by another bully or a family member.
These are another three treatments you can get for a bully:
Anger management: Many people who bully simply have a tough time expressing their anger in a healthy way. Getting to the root of their anger and teaching them relaxation techniques is usually very helpful.
Psychotherapy: Some bullies are dealing with past or current trauma. Psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” can help discover the origin of their misdirected rage.
Interventions: Intervening on a bully’s behavior is often the most effective way to express the damage that their actions are causing. Sometimes this involves the bully’s family and in some cases the bully’s victims.
Most cyberbullying takes place outside of schools so it’s vital that parents learn to combat the issue. It’s not appropriate to flick-pass the problem back to teachers.
There’s no denying that cyberbullying is difficult to tackle but several websites, full of useful information and tips, are but a few clicks away and will make navigating that place much easier.
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