Cyberbullying: causes and characteristics of virtual harassment

The adolescence it is a time of change and evolution. In this stage, in which both physical and mental maturation occurs, adolescents begin to withdraw from the family and authority figures to begin to give increasing importance to the peer group, people who like them are in search of their identity.

However, this closeness to their peers does not always result in an interaction positive, but it is possible that sometimes an abusive relationship is established, being the result the bullying or, if new technologies are used for this, cyberbullying.

Related article: "The KiVa method: an idea that is ending bullying"

Invisible violence

"After the diffusion of that image in which he appeared naked, Fran found that they kept receiving messages laughing at his physique. The situation was not only due to the virtual level, but in class the teasing and harassment were constant, even finding the photograph hooked on posts both inside and outside from college. His parents filed several complaints in order to stop the situation, but despite all the damage had already been done. One day, after two months of continuous teasing, Fran did not come home. He would be found a day later, hanged from a tree in a nearby field, leaving behind a farewell letter. "

The description of the above events belongs to a fictitious case, but at the same time it has a very real resemblance to the reality experienced by many harassed young people. In fact, its elaboration has been based on several real cases. To better understand the situation, it is essential to better understand what cyberbullying is.

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying or cyberbullying it is a subtype of indirect bullying that takes place through social media and new technologies. As in all types of bullying, this type of interaction is based on the emission of a behavior intentionally with the aim of harming or harassing another person, establishing a relationship of inequality between both subjects (that is, the aggressor having dominance over the victim) and being stable in the weather.

However, the fact of applying new technologies makes these characteristics of bullying look nuanced. While the existence of an unequal relationship does always occur, it must be taken into account that the triggering stimulus can be a photo, a comment or content that is has published or issued without the intention of harming anyone, being the harassment derived from a misuse of this publication (the intention of to damage).

For example, that a friend or the same individual hangs up or sends someone a photo in which a colleague goes wrong It may not imply that he wants to humiliate you, but a third person may use a different use than alleged. In the case of cyberbullying, keep in mind that what is published on the Internet can be seen by many people (many of them unknown) and at any time, so that a single bullying situation can have repercussions in numerous time intervals.

What's more, the victim has a greater sense of helplessness than in other types of aggressionsBecause of the networks, the attack can reach you at any time and place, and you also do not know when it will be witnessed or by whom it will occur. Finally, unlike in cases of traditional bullying, in cyberbullying the harasser can be anonymous.

Types of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is not a unitary phenomenon that occurs in a single way; There are a wide variety of forms, ranging from victimization and social exclusion to data manipulation to harm a person on their own behalf. The Internet is an environment known for the great variety of technological possibilities it offers, and unfortunately this also applies when using this medium. as a tool to harass others..

In the case of cyberbullying, strategies to harm someone can use the full potential of the network, from stored and easily broadcast photos to the use of voice or video recordings. photomontages.

Clear examples are photos and videos made and published without consent in order to blackmail or humiliate, direct threats through various platforms or websites created specifically to ridicule the victim. In addition, depending on the objective of the harassment, we can find cases such as sextortion, in which the victim is blackmailed in exchange for not publishing or spreading photographs or videos of a sexual nature.

On the other hand, it must be taken into account that the most common cyberbullying, carried out by children and adolescents, can exploit all imaginable resources, since people belonging to the generation of digital natives They already learn to use all these tools from their early years.

The difference with grooming

It is important to note that cyberbullying occurs among minors or at least among peer groups. It is thus distinguished from grooming, in which an adult harasses a minor over the internet (usually for sexual purposes). In this second case, it is frequent that harassment through the internet is associated with crimes.

What happens to the victim of cyberbullying?

It is common to observe cyberbullying victims a marked decreased level of self-esteem Y selfconcept, sometimes even going so far as to blame themselves for the situation. The unsafety, feeling of lack of competence and the shame of not being able to solve the situation are elements frequently found in cyberbullying cases.

In addition, many of the victims are coerced into maintaining the law of silence for fear of the consequences of reporting. This causes a decline in school performance, which in turn feeds back the decline in self-esteem. Victims of continuous cyberbullying also perceive less social support, and in the long run the future affective bonding with third parties becomes difficult, inhibiting social development.

Likewise, when cyberbullying is very intense and lasts for months, it is possible that victims end up presenting personality pathologies or mood, such as severe depression or social phobia, even going so far as (as in the fictitious case recreated above) to lead to suicide of the victim.

Prevent cyberbullying

In order to detect cases of cyberbullying, some indications that may be useful would be the monitoring and surveillance of changes in habits and the use of devices with Internet access (including concealment when used), absences from class, abandonment of favorite activities, drastic reduction in school performance, changes in the way of eating, weight changes, vomiting and diarrhea for no apparent reason, absence of eye contact, fear of recess, excessive closeness to adults, apathy, or lack of defense against jokes that can seem innocuous.

What to do if cyberbullying is detected?

In the case of detecting a situation of this type, it is necessary to establish fluid communication with the student and her family, making him see that they are experiencing an undeserved situation for which the minor is not to blame, helping to report the case and making them feel support continued. It is essential to teach and help collect evidence of bullying (such as captures screen or use of programs that record conversations), in order to test your existence.

To remedy the existence of cyberbullying, the establishment of preventive measures is essential. Different methodologies, such as KiVa method, have proven the usefulness of working with the whole class group and especially with those students who are witnesses to the aggression, so that the aggressor perceives rejection of his actions and does not see his conduct.

In the same way, it is essential to work with the attacked student and the aggressor student, in order to show support and improve the self-esteem of the former and awaken the empathy of the second making him see the possible damages that his conduct can cause both the victim and others (including himself).

Cyberbullying, at the legal level in Spain

Virtual harassment is a series of serious crimes that can lead to jail terms of several years.. However, it must be considered that in Spain only after the age of 14 a criminal charge can be imputed, so that most of the prison sentences are not applied.

Despite this, the legal system has a series of disciplinary measures that can be put into practice in these cases. In addition, although the legal responsibility lies with the minor aggressor in the first place, the legal persons responsible for the minor and the school where the harassed and the harasser are related also possess it. It will be their responsibility to assume the compensation to the harassed as well as the sanctions that may correspond to them themselves.

In a case of cyberbullying The crimes of induction to suicide, injuries (physical or moral), threats, coercion, torture can occur or crime against moral integrity, crimes against privacy, insults, violation of the right to one's image and the inviolability of the address, discovery and disclosure of secrets (including the processing of personal data), computer damage and usurpation of identity.

The corrective measures proposed for the aggressor include stays for weekends, carrying out socio-educational tasks benefits for the benefit of the community, probation and restraining order.

A final thought

The current study of the cyberbullying phenomenon makes it clear that there is still a lot to work on, especially taking into account the constant evolution of technology and networks (new trends appear and Applications). In addition, taking into account that the new generations are born in an increasingly virtualized environment, the preventive policies that are currently apply should be advanced, going from being done in Secondary Education to providing basic notions in Education Primary.

In the same way, more training is needed in this regard in the professional sectors that deal with this type of case. Research in this regard is relatively scarce and very recent, requiring the creation of measures and protocols increasingly effective that can help end this scourge and improve the safety and quality of life of the youth.

A psychosocial approach is necessary to end the problem of cyberbullying. This is a task that can be accomplished if there are a series of social and cultural changes, including those found developing an awareness of the issue and developing policies Y school intervention methods that prevent this phenomenon. The KiVa method, for example, points in this direction, and has proven to be very effective. What it is about is not only intervening in victims and abusers, but in the entire social fabric that surrounds both.

Bibliographic references:

• Calvete, E., Orue, I., Estévez, A., Villardón, L. & Padilla, P. (2010). Cyberbullying in Adolescents: Modalities and aggressors ’profile. Computers in Human Behavior. 26, 1128-1135.

• Castellana, M.; Sanchez-Carbonell, X.; Graner, C. & Beranuy, M. (2007). The adolescent in the face of information and communication technologies: Internet, mobile phones and videogames. Roles of the Psychologist. 28(3); 196-204.
• Del Rey, R., Elipe, P. & Ortega-Ruiz, R. (2012). Bullying and Cyberbullying: Overlapping and Predictive Value of the Co-occurrence. Psicothema. 24, 608-613.

• Del Rey, R.; Flores, J.; Garmendia, M; Martínez, G.; Ortega, R. & Tejerina, O. (2011). School action protocol against cyberbullying. Bilbao: Department of Education, Universities and Research. Basque Country; Multidisciplinary Research Team on cyberbullying.

• State Attorney General (2005). Instruction FGE 10/2005, of October 6, on the treatment of bullying from juvenile justice.

• Garaigordobil, M. (2011). Prevalence and consequences of cyberbullying: a review. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. 11, 233-254.

• Ortega, R., Calmaestra, J. & Mora-Merchán, J. (2008) Cyberbullying. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. 8 (2), 183-192

• Richardson, D.R., Green, L.R. (1999) Social sanction and threat explanations of gender effects on direct and indirect aggression. Aggressive Behavior. 25 (6), 425-434.

• Romera, E., Cano, J.J., García-Fernández, C.M., Ortega-Ruiz, R. (2016). Cyberbullying: social competence, motivation and relationships between equals. Communicate. 48, 71-79.

• Siegel, D. (2014). Brain Storm. Barcelona: Alba.

• Smith P.K. (1989). The Silent Nightmare: Bullying and Victimization in School Peer Groups. Paper. London: Annual Congress British Psychological Society.

• Smith, P.K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, C. & Tippett, N. (2006). An investigation into cyberbullying, its forms, awareness and impact, and the relationship between age and gender in cyberbullying. A Report to the Anti-Bullying AllianceReserch Report. London. Department for Education and Skills.

• Torrealday, L. & Fernández, A. (2014). Cyberbullying. Educational Organization and Management. 4.