Cyberbullying:

This type of bullying takes place over the internet. “The Internet is the new bathroom wall” and what was once written on the school restroom stall now reaches a wider audience. Considering that 99 percent of all U.S. students have used the internet, online communication in the forms of email, text messaging, websites (created by bullies, or existing, such as [www.facebook.com] facebook, instant messaging, blogs, and chat rooms provide ample means to bully a victim. One of the biggest problems with cyberbullying is that the bullying can be far reaching and can spread quickly with just a few strokes on the keyboard. This makes it extremely difficult to control. Other problems include the prevalence of digital cameras, especially in cell phones, that can be used to take incriminating photos or videos that are shared online. With such readily accessible access to such devices, “compromising photos can be taken in school locker rooms and downloaded as-is or “morphed” (altered by the computer) into more embarrassing creations via the web and e-mail attachments.  Unfortunately, Cyber bullying can be the most difficult to detect because it does not always take place within the school or within school hours. Regrettably, this means that bullying of the victims is also not limited to the school day and therefore bullying can take place 24 hours a day without reprieve. Detecting cyberbullying is not always easy as targets may be reluctant to report it because they may fear parents may take their telephones or that their own computer time may become more monitored or curtailed altogether.