Running head: CYBER BULLYING IS A MYTH

Trend and issue

Truc La
NorQuest College
NFDN 2005 Pediatric O01 XL 2016 Sum
Assignment 1: Cyber bullying is a myth
Cathy MacDonald
August 20, 2016

CYBER BULLYING IS A MYTH

Cyber Bullying is a myth

Introduction
According to Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2016) cyberbullying involves the use of
communication technologies such as the internet, social networking sites, websites, email, text
messaging and instant messaging to repeatedly intimidate or harass other. Additionally,
cyberbullying can happen to anyone at any time, days and places (Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, 2016). As we can see cyberbullying needs technology to spread, this can be a big problem
because technology is playing an important part in our sociality. Example of cyberbullying can
be sending or posting an embarrassing pictures, video without the owner consent, posting a
meaning or threaten comment on social network, cell phone or email toward other person.
Therefore, in this research paper I will discuss and provide some evidences whether
cyberbullying is a myth or not.
Impact of the Trend/Issue on the Health of Children
The children who experiences from cyberbullying will have negative affect on
emotional, psychological, and physiological in short term and long term. Perry et al., (2013)
indicate chronic bullies may continue their behaviors into adulthood, negatively influencing
their ability to develop and maintain relationships (p. 1090-1091). Additionally, some victims
have high level of stress or emotional issues tend to eat to relieve stress and comfort against
feelings of inner emptiness, low self-esteem, and fear of abandonment (Hales & Lauzon, 2010,
p. 134); this leads to unhealthy lifestyles, becoming overweight, eventually, obesity. Family of
individual cyberbullying are also affected. The family needs to help the child to cope with the
situation by starting a new life: changing phone number, new address and school, new friends.

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Additionally, the parents need to take time off from work to care, find and bring the kids to meet
counselors.
Support for the Trend/Issue Statement
From NY Daily News, Waldman & Clementi (2015) indicate that cyberbullying is an
epidemic and cause suicidal, therefore, cyberbullying needs to be stopped. From Public Health
Agency of Canada (PHAC), Craig & Edge (2012) suggest the number of student from grade 6 to
grade 10 in Canada experiences cyberbullying is about 11% to 19%, and cyberbullying in girls
are higher than in boys. This number does not include the unreported incident. One of the most
popular case in Canada and well known in other countries was the story about a teenager girl
from Vancouver named Amanda Todd. From The Huffington Post, Grenoble (2012) reports
Amanda Todd, a Vancouver-area teenager who post a story to YouTube last month about being
cyber-bullied, was found dead Wednesday night in Coquitlam, Canada. Authorities believe she
was committed suicide. Two year ago, another girl named Morgan Dunbar killed herself in
Alberta because of cyberbullying. From CBC New in Edmonton, Archer & Estabrooks (2014)
report after Morgan experienced cyberbullying on Facebook, before Morgan killed herself, she
started to hurt herself and covered it up from her mom. These case demonstrate that
cyberbullying is popular and lead to suicide.
Refute for the Trend/Issue Statement
On the other hand, Magid (2011) believe cyberbullying is not an epidemic and not all the
victim will choose to die. According Craig & Edge (2012) in PHAC report between grade 6 and
grade 10, physical bullying for boys and girls is up to 41% while cyberbullying is only at 19%;
the percentage of traditional bully is still higher than cyberbullying. From Huffington Post
Canada, Schmunk (2015) has a story about Andrea Ng who got cyberbully for more than two

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years: someone, took the photo from her private Facebook album, Photoshopped a pair of naked
breasts in place of her shirt, and circulate the nude photo on the social media platform.
Andrea Ng is a very strong lady, she does not make the same decision as Amanda Todd or
Morgan Dunbar. She fights back against cyberbully by learning how to deal and stop it and get
help from the family, relative, and good friends.
Personal Stand/View on the Trend/Issue
Through my research and knowledge, I think cyberbullying is not a myth. Cyberbullying
is more dangerous than the traditional bully because cyberbully can happen silently and quickly
without direct interaction. As we all know when things happen on the internet, it can spread to
the whole world quickly. When the news go online, it will stay there even when you deleted it. If
cyberbully victim does not get help or support on time from the family, the victim will have
emotional break down, psychological unstable and self-harm injury. Few of my coworkers got
cyberbully when they was in high school and they told me when it happened, they just wanted to
drop out from school. I agree that technology can bring many benefits and play an important role
in our socialization, work and study. It can help the children to connect to their friends and
teachers. They can find food recipe and skin care on Google, listen to music on YouTube.
However, I think that our kids are spending too much time and exposing to Facebook, twitter,
cyber, cellphone, iPad at the young age.
Education Recommendations for Children
As an educator, the nurses need to have a knowledge about cyberbullying to identify,
manage and help the children. The nurses need to report any sign, symptom and take it very
seriously; therefore, the nurses can provide appropriate support and right information to the
victim. It is very important to recognize this problem early to avoid many negative outcome on

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mentally and physically in the long term. In my opinion, the education should be provide to the
public such as in school, community and the most important place is at home. I believe parents
are the best person to provide this education to their child. The parents should talk to their kids
about cyberbullying before letting them go online. Parents need to pay attention to children
activities when they using computer, cellphone or social network. Preventing is always better
than dealing with cyberbullying. When the parents talk to the children, they need to have honest
and open communication with them, encourage children to express their feelings, and promote a
daily routine and reliable limits (Perry et al., 2013, p. 1095). By doing this the parent will have
a better chance to find out if their kids have been cyberbullied by someone or not. According to
Government of Canada (2015), there are five steps the parents can do to when their child is being
bullied: talk with your child about cyberbullying, report the cyberbullying to digital provider,
report the cyberbullying to the childs school, report the cyberbullying to law enforcement, get
outside help to deal with cyberbullying.
Community Resources and Effectiveness
Along with the development of the technology, the victim of cyberbullying will continue
to rise. The government of Canada and provinces need to work together to prevent and stop
cyberbullying. In 2013-2014, the government of Canada spend $4.788.138 on anti- cyber bullys
advertising to increase the knowledge about cyberbully through television, internet, and cinema
(Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2015). In Butler (2014) reports Public Safety
Canada said the campaign directed significant traffic to the governments anti-cyberbullying
website, Canada.ca/StopHatingOnline, with almost 11 million hits and 350,000 visitors between
January and March. Edmonton Police Service also has the ad about cyberbullying as well.
There are many website and help phone number that are also available to call on check online:

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humanservices.alberta.ca and phone number 1-888-456- 2323; kidshelpphone.ca and phone

number 1-800-668-6868; cyberbullying.ca; Edmonton Child, Adolescent and Family Mental
Health (CASA) with phone number 780-410-8483, 780-342-2701. However, I think the
community and the government needs to have more resource available in person, and expand
CASA in rural area. According to Morgans mother in Archer & Estabrooks (2014): it was very
frustrating to try and make those connections and get a hold of people and the psychiatrist in
Fort McMurray were hesitant to see Morgan because of her age. If Morgan got help from the
psychiatrist on time, her family could save her live.
Conclusion
In all conclusion, cyberbullying is happening silently and need to take seriously. Children
are young and do not have many experiences or really understand that social networking can lead
them in harmful way. Therefore, children are prone to experience more cyberbullying and need a
lot of help to recover or deal with it. Technology advantages bring many benefits to human life,
but there is a negative affect behind it. Therefore, to avoid this negative affect, the parent should
teach and talk to the children how to use the internet, social networking in the right way to avoid
getting hurt from it. Development of technology makes human life is easier, but our children
should not depend on the technology.

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7
References

Archer J., & Estabrooks, T. (2014, November 06). Family of Morgan Dunbar wants to help other
after teens suicide. Retrieved from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/family-ofmorgan-dunbar-wants-to-help-others-after-teen-s-suicide-1.2823916
Butler, D. (2014, August 15). Half of Canadian recall anti-cyberbullying ad on TV, survey finds.
Retrieved from: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/half-of-canadians-recall- anticyberbullying-ad-on-tv-survey-finds
Craig. W., & Edge. H. Mc. (2012, March 16). Bullying and fighting. Retrieved from Public
Health Agency of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/dca-dea/publications/hbscmental-mentale/bullying-intimidation-eng.php
Government of Canada (2015, March 03). Is your child being cyberbullied? Retrieved from:
http://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/cnt/cbrbllng/prnts/chld-bng-cbrblld-en.aspx
Grenoble R. (2012, October 12). Amanda Todd: Bullied Canadian teen commits suicide after
prolonged battle online and in school. Retrieved from:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/amanda-todd-suicidebullying_n_1959909.html
Hales, D., & Lauzon, L. (2010). An Invitation to Health (2nd Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON:
Nelson
Magid, L. (2011, September 14). Cyberbullying: a serious problem, but not an epidemic.
Retrieved from: http://www.connectsafely.org/cyberbullying-a-serious-problem-but-notan-epidemic/

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Perry, S.E., Hockenberry, M.J., Lowdermilk, D. L., Wilson, D., Keenan Lindsay, L., Sams, C.
A. (Eds.). (2013). Maternal child nursing care in Canada (1st ed.). Toronto, ON:
Mosby/Elsevier Canada
Public Works and Government Services Canada (2015, April 15). Highlights of the 2013-2014
annual report: Anti-Cyberbullying. Retrieved from: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/pubadv/rapports-reports/2013-2014/grandecamp-majorcamp-eng.html#cyber
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, (2016, June 14). Bullying and Cyberbullying. Retrieved from:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cycp-cpcj/bull-inti/index-eng.htm
Schmunk, R. (2015, May 30). Andrea Ng, B.C. student, fight back against fake nude photo
cyberbully. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/28/andrea-ng-photosblog_n_7463604.html
Waldman, A. E., & Clementi, J. (2015, October 01). Ending the cyberbullying epidemic five
years after Tyler Clementis suicide. Retrieved from:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/waldman-clementi-ending-cyberbullyingepidemic-article-1.2381804