Bullying, i.e. the abuse of children by their peers at school is a common practice for centuries. But today this kind of harassment has spread over the internet, receiving the name of cyberbullying. Anonymity, impunity, not perception, direct and immediate damage caused, the adoption of imaginary roles in the network and great ease and availability of the medium, have favored the spread of the cyberbullying.?The Pfizer Foundation (www.fundacionpfizer.org) revealed that more than 11% of young people between 12 and 18 years acknowledge having suffered psychological abuse through the network. Children and adolescents with depression are more likely to be victims of the cyberbullying and are 12 times greater risk of committing suicide. Victims of cyberbullying will feel isolated and powerless not to find ways to curb harassment over the internet.?Any change in the behaviour of a child or a teenager should alert their parents about the possibility that his son is victim of the cyberbullying. Examples include attacks of anger or tears, changes in sleep and feeding patterns, loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, drastic changes in clothing and isolation from family or friends. Teenagers and children use social networks as a kind of virtual square where found and organize much of their social life: put at disposal all kind of information of his personal life, his family, his mode of travel through the city, of its destinations, departures, arrivals, explicit data of their schools, in addition to personal referencingsuch as e-mail and phone number fixed and sometimes cellular among others, according to the study conducted by Chicos.net in Argentina. Various studies warn that new information technologies impose a challenge to governmental, educational, family, and social sectors, in addition to the phenomenon must be legally addressed to protect personal data, as well as the physical and moral integrity of children and adolescents.
Previous
Next