An expert warns that cyberbullying is becoming accepted as normal behaviour, and that parents must take action. To adults discussing online privacy, cyberbullying might not be seen as problematic. Some youngsters tease or joke online without realising that their actions constitute bullying. In some countries, there have been resulting cases of trauma and even suicide. I was trying to console her, telling her to calm down, that nobody was going to believe such a lie.
Penkawin explained that what started the whole scenario was a tangled relationship problem. Things are not looking better for slightly older teenagers either. It was pretty scary. I think they were suspended. But the thing was, they already had a 'slapfest' [physical altercation] before everything went online. Cyberbullying, as the name suggests, is a type of bullying being done online, in many cases between children, with the intention to hurt or humiliate others.
The problem, though somewhat unknown to and not experienced by older generations, is very widespread in the world of youths. Though they sometimes happen concurrently — or one happens to be a cause or effect of the other — cyberbullying is different from traditional or physical bullying. Cyberbullying mainly involves psychological attacks on the person. The attack can be anonymous, and it is also away from adult eyes, which make punishment and accountability difficult. In some cases, it is almost too easy for some children to be cruel to each other because they know they can get away with it.
Some view that cyberbullying is just a joke among children. As of now, there is no real indicator to determine if cyberbullying has contributed to deaths in Thailand, but this is not to say we should take the issue for granted. However, Dr Wimontip explained that children can always come up with new slang that the software is not able to detect, rendering the programs useless.
Even taking away mobile phones or banning the internet would not work. It seems cyberbullying is not an activity that can be easily stopped.
