21st June 2007

Cyber-Bullying on the rise.

Technology has brought us to the moon. Despite the daily stress we experience, technology has made life more comfortable.

And till recently, even bullies, who usually indulged in physical harassment, have taken advantage of technology and brought their torment a step further. Now they have opted for a more accessible method. Cyber Bullying.

Cyber Bullying can include anything from sending anonymous hate mails, mean sms’s, abusing or vandalising blogs and publicising private pictures of classmates. Some bully’s even attack on networks like MSN. Research has revealed that many students in Singapore have come into contact with Cyber-bullies and their afflictions.

One of the most recent cases highlights the stigma that a Primary Six girl, Michelle, is facing because of her classmates and their new found interest on cyberspace. Her distorted pictures and insults were found on a blog which received over 7000 hits.

Michelle comes from a well-known school and experienced being bullied first through vulgarities hurled at her and threats of her being stabbed by pencils. Michelle expressed her views on her blog saying she finds herself becoming more hateful and that she needs help. After reading this, her mother approached the school where she was asked if perhaps Michelle was being overly sensitive.

Schools are not really ‘gate keeping’ these blogs and therefore find it hard to keep track of such cases. However, the Education Ministry has advised schools to promote a strong cyber-wellness culture e and for parents to work closely alongside. 69 percent of students in Singapore are reported to have internet access and this is one speculated reason of the rise in cyber-bullying.

Other reports that shocked many in the case of juvenile delinquency include the bullying of a young school girl, who was videotaped while being brutally beaten by three older girls. The videotaped was circulated, however the police did not want to take further action until the victim made a report.

This case came right after a survey that presented that 70% of primary and secondary school students in Singapore have reported being bullied.

Neighbourhood schools were reported to produce more bullying cases with many perpetuators being girls. In a another survey of 4000 students, 2800 of them admitted being victims of physical acts such as kicking, hair-pulling, or shoving and pushing.

The worrying matter is that research has shown that habitual bullies have greater chance of developing into violent adults or criminals.

The youth in Singapore are seen as well-behaved and cultured by many. However, a world report has claimed that our small city has the highest incidence of internet bullying among kids in any country outside the US.

“ Singapore has far more cases than anyone would have expected,” Wired Safety. In 2005, Wired Safety received over 80 reports of cyber- bullying.