School violence is not a new concept, especially in today's era. This worldwide issue will only continue to escalate if there re not proper precautions put in place. The only reason that bullying has come back up into the conversation is due to the fact that it is broadcasted at a heavier volume along with the extremities of school violence. School shootings have risen over the last forty years according to the Center of Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS). In 1970 only 19 incidents reported whereas in 2017 there were 98 incidents reported (2019). Cyberbullying is the act of attacking someone online using harsh comments or responses. So what is the correlation between the rise of cyberbullying and school violence?
Generation Z, referred to as the "iGeneration," has not experienced life without the extreme advancement of technology. The beginning of their generation was 1997 where the first tablets and smart phones were in the process of being developed. With this in mind, it only makes sense that this generation has an easier time communicating via devices than in-person discussions. This can create a gap where emotions are lost in translation and communication can become harder to read. Since tones and feelings are not directly in front of the people in the conversation they are able to hide behind a screen and calculate their every move.
There is also the issue of not enough parental or adult involvement in social media outlets since they are not as conditioned to use it. Also, people are now able to privatize their accounts so that others cannot see their content unless they allow them to. This provides opportunities for children to post harsh comments online towards others where they can hide behind a screen. This also prohibits schools from being able to monitor student behavior since it is out-of-school and on private.
Social media sites are now the perfect place for cyberbullying to take place due to the lack of regulations and increase in profile security. Twitter, Instagram, GroupMe, and Snapchat are prime settings for these since they are the most commonly used apps for children. For example, on Instagram people will create second accounts known as "Finstas" (fake instagrams) for more explicit content. Since it is unclear who specifically makes a Finsta it can be hard to identify bullying through them. The same goes for Snapchat since the photos disappear. However, screenshots can be made but the other user will be notified by it.
Eventually, when the cyberbullying becomes too much for the victim to bear they may result to physical violence. This is why it should be the schools' responsibility to cover the importance of being a cyber citizen and using the sites responsibly. The problem is that schools are not able to identify that there is a problem unless someone notifies them or an act of violence occurs.
Overall, it is important for teachers and parents to inform the youth of their contribution to social media and how to be responsible online.
References:
Center of Homeland Defense and Security. (2019, June 14). Incidents by Year. Retrieved from https://www.chds.us/ssdb/incidents-by-year/
