Who Does Cyber-Bullying Hurt?

Cyber-bullying hurts the people being bullied:

All forms of bullying can lead to feelings of humiliation, hurt, loneliness, isolation, depression, a feeling of physical fear of one’s peers, or feeling afraid to go to school.  It can also lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, a loss of appetite, or trouble sleeping.(22)  A person being bullied may start to avoid places or activities the he or she enjoys so as to avoid being bullied.(23)  There have been instances where bullied students have had to relocate to a new school.  In extreme cases, bullied students have physically attacked or killed their tormentors and/or committed suicide, such as in the 1999 cases in Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, and locally in Taber, Alberta.(24)

Cyber-bullying in particular can be psychologically devastating for the person being bullied.  Since bullies are able to remain anonymous by hiding behind their online names and email addresses, the persons being bullied may not be able to identify their attacker, which can make them distrustful of everyone.  Also, there is no escape from cyber-bullying—a person being bullied can receive cruel messages and images via their home computer and/or cell phone any time of the day or week.(25)

Cyber-bullying hurts the bullies:

Bullies are held responsible for their actions.  This may include being suspended from school, or in some cases being legally punished (see section: Is it Against the Law?).  However, learning to be a bully at a young age can affect bullies’ lives when they get older; as noted by Barbara Coloroso in her book The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander:  From Preschool to High School—How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence, “Many children who bully continue these learned behaviors into adulthood and are at increased risk of bullying their own children, failing at interpersonal relationships, losing jobs, and ending up in jail.”(26)

Cyber-bullying hurts a school’s learning environment:

Cyber-bullying can affect the entire student body of a class or school.  When students are bullied or are simply aware of bullying within the school and in fear of being bullied also, it can create a tense and hostile school environment.  This in turn can cause a disruption in the students’ ability to concentrate and to study.(27)