Adolescence is a time of change and evolution. At this stage, when both physical and mental maturation takes place, adolescents begin to move away from family and authority figures to start giving more and more importance to the peer group, people who like them are in search of their identity.

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

Related article: “The KiVa Method: An Idea that is Ending Bullying”

Invisible violence

“After the spread of that image in which he appeared naked, Fran found that they were constantly receiving messages laughing at his physique. The situation was not only virtual, but in class the mocking and harassment was constant, even finding the photograph hooked on poles both inside and outside the school. Her parents filed several complaints in order to stop the situation, but in spite of all the damage had already been done. One day, after two months of continuous teasing, Fran did not return home. He was found one day later, hanged from a tree in a nearby field, leaving behind a farewell letter”.

The description of the above facts belongs to a fictitious case, but at the same time it bears 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 understand better what cyberbullying is .

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is a subtype of indirect bullying that takes place through social networks and new technologies . As in all types of school bullying, this type of interaction is based on the intentional emission of a behaviour with the aim of harming or abusing another person, establishing a relationship of inequality between both subjects (that is, the aggressor has dominance over the attacked person) and being stable over time.

However, the application of new technologies makes these characteristics of harassment more nuanced. While the existence of a relationship of inequality does exist, it must be taken into account that the triggering stimulus can be a photo, a comment or content that has been published or broadcast without the intention of harming anyone, the harassment being derived from the misuse of this publication (being located in this third person the intention of harming).

For example, having a friend or the same individual hang or send someone a photo in which a colleague appears badly may not imply that the colleague wants to humiliate him or her, but a third person may make different use of the photo than intended. In the case of cyberbullying, it must be taken into account that what is published on the Internet can be seen by numerous people (many of them unknown) and at any time, so that a single situation of bullying can have repercussions at numerous intervals of time.

In addition, the victim has a greater sense of defenselessness than in other types of aggressions , since because of the nets the attack can come at any time and place, and also does not know when it will be witnessed or by whom. Finally, unlike in cases of traditional bullying, in cyberbullying the bully can be anonymous.

Types of cyberbullying

Cyber-bullying is not a unitary phenomenon that occurs in only one way; there is a wide variety of forms ranging from harassment of the victim and his or her social exclusion to manipulation of data to harm a person on his or her 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 for harassing others .

In the case of cyberbullying, strategies to harm someone can use all the potential of the network, from stored and easily disseminated photographs to the use of voice recordings or photomontages.

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

On the other hand, it should be borne in mind that the most common cyberbullying, that carried out by children and adolescents, can exploit all imaginable resources, given that people belonging to the generation of digital natives have been learning to use all these tools since their early years.

The difference with grooming

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

What’s wrong with the victim of cyberbullying?

It is frequent to observe in the victims of cyberbullying a marked decrease in the level of self-esteem and self-concept, sometimes even blaming themselves for the situation. Insecurity, a feeling of lack of competence and the shame of not being able to make the situation go away are elements often found in cases of cyberbullying.

In addition, many of the victims are coerced into keeping the law of silence for fear of the consequences of reporting. This causes a decline in school performance, which in turn feeds back into a decline in self-esteem. Victims of ongoing cyberbullying also perceive less social support, and in the long run future emotional attachment to third parties is hindered, inhibiting social development.

Likewise, when cyberbullying is very intense and lasts for months, it is possible that the victims may end up presenting personality or mood pathologies, such as severe depression or social phobia, even leading (as in the previously recreated fictitious case) to the victim’s suicide.

Preventing cyberbullying

In order to detect cases of cyberbullying, some signs that may be useful include monitoring and surveillance of changes in habits and the use of devices with Internet access (including hiding when using them), absenteeism from class, abandonment of favourite activities, drastic reduction in school performance, changes in eating habits, weight variations, vomiting and diarrhoea for no apparent reason, lack of eye contact, fear of breaks, excessive proximity to adults, apathy, or lack of defence against jokes that may seem harmless.

What to do if cyberbullying is detected?

In the case of detecting a situation of this type, it is necessary to establish a fluid communication with the student and his family, making him see that he is living an undeserved situation for which the minor is not to blame, helping to report the case and making him feel a continuous support. It is essential to teach and help collect evidence of bullying (such as screen shots or use of programs that record conversations), in order to prove its existence.

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

Similarly, it is essential to work with both the student who has been assaulted and the student who has attacked him/her, in order to show support and improve the self-esteem of the former and to awaken the empathy of the latter by making him/her see the possible harm that his/her behaviour can cause both to the assaulted person and to others (including him/herself).

Cyberbullying, at a legal level in Spain

Virtual harassment involves a series of serious crimes that can lead to imprisonment of several years . However, it should be considered that in Spain only from the age of 14 years can a criminal charge be brought, so that prison sentences are mostly not applied.

Despite this, the legal system has a number of disciplinary measures that can be implemented in such cases. Furthermore, although the legal responsibility lies primarily with the minor aggressor, those legally responsible for the minor and the school where they interact with the harasser also bear responsibility. They will have to assume the compensation of the harassed as well as the sanctions that could correspond to them by themselves.

Faced with a case of cyberbullying , the crimes of inducement to suicide, injury (physical or moral), threats, coercion, torture or crime against moral integrity, crimes against privacy, insults, violation of the right to one’s image and the inviolability of the home, discovery and disclosure of secrets (including the processing of personal data), computer damage and identity theft can occur.

The corrective measures proposed for the aggressor include weekend stays, performance of social-educational tasks, benefits for the community, probation and a restraining order.

A Final Reflection

The current study of the phenomenon of cyberbullying makes it clear that much work remains to be done, especially in view of the constant evolution of technology and networks (new trends and applications appear). Furthermore, taking into account that the new generations are born in an increasingly virtualized environment, the preventive policies that are currently being implemented should be brought forward from being carried out in Secondary Education to providing basic notions in Primary Education.

Similarly, there is a need for further training in this regard in the professional sectors dealing with this type of case . Research on this subject is relatively scarce and very recent, and it is necessary to create increasingly effective measures and protocols that can help to end this scourge and improve the safety and quality of life of young people.

A psychosocial approach is needed to end the problem of cyberbullying. This is a task that can be accomplished if a series of social and cultural changes take place, including the development of awareness on the subject and the development of policies and methods of school intervention that prevent this phenomenon. The KiVa method, for example, points in this direction, and has proven to be very effective. The aim is not to intervene only in victims and abusers, but in the entire social fabric surrounding both.

Bibliographic references:

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