Bullying in the 21st century is not only the
domain of the schoolyard, but also of the
computer and mobile phone, blurring the
boundaries between public and private.
Image: iStockphoto

What happens when schoolyard name-calling progresses into online harassment? With today’s adolescents now taking bullying into cyberspace, researchers are seeking ways to combat the growing issue of cyberbullying.

In 2006, 13-year-old Megan Meier of Missouri, USA, hung herself in her bedroom closet after being cyberbullied through the social networking website, MySpace. At the time of her death, Meier suffered from low self-esteem and was taking medication for attention deficit disorder and depression.

The bully’s account seemed to belong to a 16-year-old male named ‘Josh Evans’. However, 49-year-old Lori Drew – the mother of a former friend of Meier – later admitted to creating the fake MySpace account with her 13-year-old daughter.

Earlier this year, Drew was acquitted of all misdemeanour charges and escaped with probation and a fine. Her daughter also escaped charges.

According to Clinical Psychologist in UTS’s Health Psychology Unit, Megan Varlow, “This is a good example of how difficult cyberbullying is to police, because even in such a clear-cut example like this one – where the messages the mother was sending to the girl led directly to her death – the law hasn’t caught up. It’s almost as though it’s ahead of the law – what kind of recourse do you have against a bully when the abuse is coming via an email?”

The question of whether cyberbullying is a new phenomenon or simply a variant of traditional bullying is what Varlow and Senior Clinical Psychologist, Dr Rachael Murrihy, are looking to answer.

Prevalent between school children in years seven to 10, cyberbullying awareness has grown following a spate of teen suicides. This increasing attention motivated Murrihy and Varlow to undertake further investigations.

In February this year, they surveyed nearly 1500 Australian secondary school students using a questionnaire. They found 20 per cent of adolescents report being cyberbullied over the last three months, and 13 per cent admit they had cyberbullied someone else over the last three months.

Murrihy believes cyberbullying’s ability to morph into, and escalate over, so many different modes is what makes it unique. “I can text someone, they can block my text. I can email, they can block my email. I can then put up an internet poll with a nasty question and the rest of the class can vote – it’s easy to get others involved.”

She also cites the fact that unlike direct bullying – where the victim can return home to find sanctuary – cyberbullying is inescapable.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 73 per cent of Australian adolescents own a mobile phone and up to 93 per cent have access to the internet at home.

“The cyber communities are 24 hours a day. As long as you have your mobile phone, you can receive threatening text messages. As long as you have instant messaging or the bully has access to your social networking site, you can get these messages any time. It’s constant and ongoing,” says Murrihy.

While the research is still in its initial stages, it’s already clear the appeal of cyberbullying lies in its anonymity; drawing in people who wouldn’t otherwise directly engage in bullying.

“There is a lack of inhibition that comes with being anonymous,” says Murrihy. “Only about 30 per cent of cyberbullying victims know who’s bullying them. The bullies don’t see the pain they’re inflicting so there’s no chance to feel bad or remorseful. Also, cyberbullies don’t think their actions are that serious. Just sending an email, for example, differs from a face-to-face threat, which is clearly serious.”

“We think the profile of a cyberbully is probably a lot broader than you would see with your traditional, more direct sort of bullying,” explains Varlow. “We know that physical power or size is very important in traditional forms. In cyberbullying the big kids are just as likely to be the victims as the little kids. So it’s not only the big kid picking on the little kids anymore, it’s everyone picking on everyone else.”

The issue of whether cyberbullying is a new phenomenon doesn’t come without its cynicism. Some argue it is simply an advanced form of schoolyard name-calling and victims should stand up for themselves or simply switch off the technologies.

Murrihy argues that blaming the technology rather than dealing with the social problem is anti-progressive and unsustainable. “Adolescents haven’t been equipped with the tools to know how to do something about it. You need to have the environment, the parenting, the genes – all of these are influencing factors. With cyberbullying, we may not see the negative mental effects straightaway. It may not be until adulthood that the person starts to get depressed or socially phobic.”

Varlow agrees, citing higher rates of mental illness among victims. “They’re more likely to be depressed, have problems with anxiety disorders, higher rates of suicidal thinking, also poorer social relationships with some of their friends. So from a mental health perspective, cyberbullying is potentially worse because of the anonymity, because you can’t escape. As a psychology unit that’s where our interest comes in – to look at bullying’s potential to be a precursor to mental health.”

The Federal Government are also on the case, launching a $3 million campaign, directed at parents and teachers, to curb cyberbullying. They’re also rolling out a national program, Think U Know, established by the Australian Federal Police and Microsoft to raise awareness of and provide education about the problem.

By trying to identify the variables of cyberbullying, Murrihy and Varlow are confident they can help put preventative practices into place and develop treatment for victims.

“At this stage we can provide the community with information and training sessions to inform on the consequences of cyberbullying, about safety strategies and prevention measures. A very direct output of our research is helping people to learn more about this area and to change the way they deal with it.”