Cyber Cruelty: Understanding and Preventing the New Bullying

Ruth      Gerson; Nancy      Rappaport

Abstract

As adolescents increasingly adopt cell phones, smart phones, and the Internet as tools for communication and social networking, they can become victims of the growing trend of cyberbullying – targeted harm inflicted through such technology. These forms of technology are often strange and unfamiliar to parents, teachers, and medical and mental health providers. This review article provides an introduction to cyberbullying, tools for screening, and opportunities for prevention.

Keywords: Bullying, Internet, adolescents, relational aggression, cyberbullying, Cyber Immersion Generation, instant messenger (IM) messages, electronic stalking, password theft or