Cyberbullying vs. Traditional Bullying: Is Either Worse?

It's rather one-sided. In comparing the differences it isn't looking at the aspects that can happen with in-person bullying. It doesn't point out the limitations of cyber-bullying either, yes the locations can be varied, but only when online. Someone can simply unplug.

I don't think one is necessarily worse than the other, as they can both vary in severity. I think a big aspect with cyberbullying is how much the bully knows about the person. If it's just on one site and they have no other way of contact, often times administrators are able to help and at worst, the victim can just leave the site. Things become different with having more ways to contact the person plus more information. Do they have nude pictures? Do they have an address? Can they manage to hack into financial based-accounts? Even if they do not take things offline, just the threat of knowing that they know an address can be an added level of severity.

As for real life bullying, some of the same things are true. Is it just someone from school where they can't easily figure out where someone lives (a bit age dependent)? I think in person bullying can actually be in more places, as simply stepping away from the internet doesn't mean it will necessarily end, but that really depends on how much the bully is going to follow someone around. It can affect school, employment, physical safety, vandalization of material things, cutting off power to a house, threats to family, etc.

This year my husband had a false accusation made against him to his professional organization. I don't want to go into details in public, but that had the potential to affect us both financially plus I rely on the benefits through his employment for life saving orphan drugs. We didn't think anything was going to come of it at least, but it was scary realizing someone could just make something up and potentially affect someone's livelihood. It also took over a month for it to be closed, and the reason for the closure meant it happened much further than what it could have gone on for. Also, some of the comments in the complaint had us realizing the potential for real safety concerns, even without a specific threat especially knowing this person had guns.

As for one leading to the other, yes, that can go both ways.

In the last decade or so I think cyberbullying has gotten more awareness, as bullying has gone on throughout human history. Whereas the internet is new and our level of connection with it is increasing.

@AffyAvo That is why we all need to be really careful, who we give our personal information to, on line and off line.

We need to be internet wise.

We also need to practice good internet safety.

Only talk to people online, that you know and trust.

Some people can use your data, to bully you, so be really careful.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your view points.

I hope, I shed some light on how important internet safety is, but not only internet safety but safety in general.

@calmMango9611 The information this person had wasn't really a choice, it was workplace issues. So it's not always something someone has control over.

@AffyAvo I understand this.

They are both immature and equally as bad. Hiding behind a computer monitor to do your dirty work is pretty cowardly, but hurting others in any way is just mean. I would argue cyber bullying is significantly worse for more than one reason. Online comments are (mostly) permanent. Every time you look at the place where they occur, they are still there. Messages, comments, posts… all stay. Pictures are forever too. Anonymity allows people to not be human to each other. There is also less fear of repercussions. I do consider cyberbullying to be the most cowardly form of bullying because the bully hides behind a screen maybe miles away from the victim and gets to do it without being known at all. This to me is very pathetic and shows what kind of people we are dealing with here. Bullying in person is very confrontational and puts the victim on the spot however the bully actually enacts their little “game" directly and puts their money where their mouth is. Cyberbullying takes humiliation to a global level; it allows that humiliation to extend well beyond the small world that a victim lives in. It communicates that humiliation instantly over thousands of miles. It is incredibly destructive for the victim. Their shame carries well beyond their personal lives and it is something that they cannot escape. They can’t outrun it, they can’t fight it, they can’t hide from it. Even if they make the effort to move to another city or state, it only takes one person to do a series of simple searches online to discover the shaming, and it starts all over again. Although face to face bullying is more common than cyberbullying, it has gotten more awareness in recent years. One can definitely lead to another because they are both done by substandard people who are lacking in their own lives and are wanting others to feel bad.

@Heather225

Hey Heather I really appreciate this article and the information provided! I really resonate with a lot of what you said. To answer your questions...

Which is worse: I personally do not think one is worse than the other. I think we need to look at the result from either type of bullying, in person or virtual. The victim is hurt and degraded regardless the method. Therefore, I strongly believe that both are equally as bad as the feelings of the victim are the same

Priority: Cyber bullying is becoming more and more common as there are an infinite amount of forums and methods that bullies can use in order to victimize others; however, I feel like it does not get the same awareness and status that in-person bullying gets. You can not physically see the bully when cyber bullying occurs, which causes this lack of recognition and defense against it.

Leading to the other: Yes! Both forms of bullying can absolutely lead to the other. While it may start with bullying at school, kids can now victimize others all day long through the use of cyber bullying. The opposite is true as well.

@sportssurfnsun Thanks for sharing your view points.

Your comments, I felt were very supportive.

Thanks for sharing.

I enjoyed reading them.

@Heather225 Thanks for sharing this and for writing this.

I agree with everything your saying in your post.

You are 100 percent correct.

I really enjoy, when you post, I learn so much from it.