CYBERBULLYING

Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good health and well-being

We can understand cyberbullying as a prolonged case of harassment through social media, both in a school environment and in a more professional circle. Bullies hide behind the anonymity that the screen provides. Anybody could be a bully or be bullied on the Internet.

Cyberbullying has many consequences for the victim’s mental health. The most common is a constant feeling of defencelessness 24 hours a day, which can often lead to suicidal tendencies.

According to Conchita López Silva, a psychologist, “these feelings can last for several years.” Among teenagers, she adds, «it’s normal that they don’t want to go back to school after summer holidays: nobody wants to stay where they have been hurt.» School absenteeism cases have increased in recent years due to this sort of digital violence.

However, cyberbullying is not only experienced by teenagers. Influencers and public figures are exposed to trolls on their own accounts. According to Dr. López, “these people begin to experience anxiety and fear symptoms due to a situation that they perceive as threatening.”

A cyberbullying case came to light in Extremadura approximately one year ago. A teenager reported that her classmates had created a fake Instagram account to post an AI-generated picture with her resemblance.

According to the victim’s family, the high school should have taken measures against the cyberbullies. The Mental Health Attention Protocol was activated but was soon discontinued. The family has decided to report both the cyberbullies and the school.

Cyberbullying has been one of the main problems in educational centers lately. It has significantly increased the percentage of suicidal thoughts, mostly among teenagers and young people. Despite the best efforts of schools to provide tools to their students, such as awareness campaigns, reporting systems, and severe punishments for cyberbullies, this problem is still one of the main causes of teenage self-destruction, both mentally and physically.

Fortunately, schools have improved their protection programs, and thanks to many innovative ideas, the effects of cyberbullying seem to be decreasing significantly. Although it is true that cyberbullying is still one of the most silent killers of the last decade, luckily, with everyone’s support, its end seems to be getting closer and closer.

Written by: Manuel Brea and Paloma Luengo (B2.2 students at EOI Plasencia)