Effects of cyberbullying on learners
Cyberbullying could have profound psychological, social, and academic impacts on students. In Africa, like in other continents of the world, this issue has become more prevalent with an increased access to digital platforms.
Visit the podcast link below to listen to the audio that explained the effects of cyberbullying in schools
https://open.spotify.com/show/4Kd50GdkhZb7wzsrLrWQLf
Now, let us discuss the effects of cyberbullying in schools.
Psychological
Impact
Cyberbullying
could lead to significant emotional and mental health issues, including anxiety,
depression, and low self-esteem. For instance if a student has become involved as a victim in a school, he/she is repeatedly harassed online
by classmates. The bullies can spread malicious rumors about this student through social media
platforms, attacking his/her appearance and accusing person of behavior he/she never engaged
in.
To this extent, such student can feel isolation, extreme sadness, and worthlessness. He/she may became withdrawn, lost his/her appetite, and suffer from sleep disturbances. His/her confidence plummeted, and heshe can found it hard to engage in activities that he/she once loved. These psychological effects can lead into more severe mental health issues, such as suicidal ideation, which is a growing concern in Namibia and in Africa at large.
Social
Impact
Cyberbullying
can significantly affect a student’s social life, leading to isolation and
difficulty forming trusting relationships. If student's friendships is deteriorated because some peers have participated in the bullying or avoided
him/her out of fear of becoming the next target. That particular student will lost a sense of belonging,
and his/her social circle shrank.
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In some communities where reputation holds great significance, the online bullying can also extended to victim's family. As people gossiped and spread rumors', the learner may feel stigmatized, shame and fear of judgment cam make it difficult for him/her to seek support. This type of social exclusion can have lasting consequences on
a young person’s social development, causing distrust in relationships and
long-term difficulties in building healthy interpersonal connections.
Academic
Impact
Cyberbullying
can greatly impact academic performance by disrupting a student’s ability to
focus on their studies. A learner, who has once a bright student with aspirations
of attending tertiary university, saw his/her grades suffer as bullying intensified. he/she may skip school frequently to avoid facing bullies in person, and his/her
concentration waned, leading to lower academic performance.
Teachers can experience the change in the behavior of the learner, but in many cases, schools struggle to address cyberbullying effectively due to limited resources and awareness. learners often fall through the cracks, with their academic potential hindered by the emotional toll cyberbullying takes.
Psychological trauma, social isolation, and academic decline that result from cyberbullying underscore the need for more robust intervention strategies.
The following video shows a real life story of how she survived cyberbullying.
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ReplyDeleteThis article really highlights the damaging impacts of cyberbullying. It is so important to raise awareness and support students who are struggling. Thank you for sharing this and helping others understand the effects of cyberbullying in schools
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