FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) BIOLOGY

COURSE CODE:
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC WRITING
(ELC550)

ASSESSMENT:
TERM PAPER OUTLINE

GROUP 5

GROUP
MEMBERS

GROUP AS201 2B1

PREPARED FOR:
PROFESOR MADYA ZAINON
ISMAIL
TERM PAPER OUTLINE

Paper Topic: The Effects of Cyberbullying on Teenagers’ Emotions and

Personalities Audience: Neutral Audience

I. Introduction

Bullying is growing in our community nowadays. The widespread use of technology has allowed
bullying to be transferred to cyberspace, resulting in the existence of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying
is defined as bullying that occurs over digital devices with the intention of insulting, threatening, or
harassing other individuals by sharing personal or private information about someone through
social media to embarrassment or humiliation. Cyberbullying can occur among teenagers who know
each other which occurs in an environment such as at school and some of them are known to each
other in the real world. This is very serious problem because it can lead a lot of significant negative
effects on the victims' emotions and personalities and leave them with lasting scars.

Thesis Statement:
There are six different effects of cyberbullying in terms of emotions and personalities which
are the collapse of self-esteem, depression, suicidal tendencies, triggered externalizing issues,
declining academic achievement, and contributing to the development of eating disorders.

II. Body

Main Point: The first effect of cyberbullying is the collapse of one’s self-esteem.
Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. According to Johanis et al., 2020, when someone is cyberbullied, it can affect their
dignity and cause them to lose confidence when dealing with their peers, which can
exacerbate when dealing with personal concerns.
b. Johanis et al., (2020) suggested that if the victim has not dealt with the pain or
humiliation they are experiencing, they may withdraw from others, believing it is
unacceptable to contact them directly.
c. Cyberbullying can also have a negative impact on a family since there will certainly
be many questions and answers to explain, arguments will emerge, trust will be
lost, and a relationship can be irreparably damaged. (Gray & Bjorklund, 2014).

Main Point: Another consequence from cyberbullying issue is depression.

Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. Depression caused by cyberbullying frequently occurs rapidly as a result of the
 engagement of hundreds or thousands of people offering harsh verbal forms of
speech about a viral issue (Groome et.al., 2014).
b. Groome et.al., (2014) proposed that individuals who are victims of cyberbullying
are more prone to develop depressive symptoms such as insomnia, over-thinking
about a topic, and frequent sorrow.
c. According to Groome et.al., (2014), individuals who are bullied are more likely
to self-harm or even commit suicide if they do not seek help.

Main Point: The link between cyberbullying and adolescent suicidal behavior has been studied
by a number of researchers.
Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. According to Hinduja & Patchin (2010) targets of cyberbullying were more likely
to contemplate and attempt suicide compared to the perpetrators and their peers
who did not participate in cyberbullying. As compared to their uninvolved
friends, victims of cyberbullying were nearly twice as likely to have tried suicide
(1.9 times), while perpetrators were 1.5 times more likely.
b. Based on the survey on Canadian adolescent Bonanno & Hymel (2013)
discovered that cybervictimization and cyberbullying correlated to adolescents'
depressed symptomology and suicidal thoughts over and above their sexuality
and engagement in traditional forms of bullying.
c. The public and permanent nature of the computer, as well as the feeling of lack
of control and anonymity, might make cyberbullying victims feel hopeless, which
would make the link between cyberbullying and suicidal thoughts stronger
Bonanno & Hymel (2013).

Main Point: The victim of cyberbullying has also developed aggressive and addictive
behaviors as a result of the bullying.

Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. According to Ybarra et al (2007) online bullied teens were more likely to use
alcohol, drugs, and bring a weapon to school. In fact, abused adolescents were
eight times more likely than their peers to bring a weapon to school within the
last month Ybarra et al (2007).
b. The studies of Asian and Pacific Islander youth have shown that, cyberbullying
victimization was connected with higher substance usage among teenagers.
Compared to their peers, cyberbullying victims were 2.5 times as likely to
consume marijuana and engage in binge drinking Goebert et al (2011).
c. Wong et al (2014) states that cyberbullying victims were also associated with
increased levels of traditional bullying such as physical assault and theft among a
sample of Hong Kong adolescents.
 Main Point: Being a victim of cyberbullying has an impact on students' academics as well.
Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. A study conducted by Hureva (2012), 62 percent of students who had been
bullied did not pay attention in class, and 5 percent indicated they were
constantly thinking about the bullies. Learners must concentrate throughout
lessons in order to perform at their best in school, but being bullied makes it
difficult for them to do so.
b. Smith and Sharp (1994) discovered that some bullying victims purposefully
isolate themselves by choosing subjects that are uninteresting to the majority of
students in order to avoid the aggressor. Isolation makes victims depressed,
which can interfere with their concentration and capacity to study.
c. According to a study by Madeleine (2011), bullying was the cause of 54 percent
of school dropouts. Being a victim of cyberbullying also impacts students’
grades. In this study, about a quarter of the victims received lower grades, and
over a third of them had to repeat a grade.

Main Point: Cyberbullying can contribute to the development of eating disorders.

Examples/Details/Explanations:
a. Studies conducted by Calvert (2009), Hay and Meldrum (2010) and Mishna
(2011) show that the adverse consequences of cyberbullying extend beyond the
realm of healthy living. Although several studies have linked cyberbullying with
the development of eating disorders in men, the majority of evidence suggests
that the problem is more frequently associated with female users.
b. According to Suler (2004), Adolescents who use the internet to upload and
exchange personal information, images, and other materials about their lives
enhance their vulnerability and susceptibility to assault. Individuals act
differently in the online realm than they do in person because of the apparent
anonymity.
c. Based on Sharp (2001) research as a result of these characteristics, people
frequently make statements without thinking about how they will affect the
intended target. A passing comment in the internet world can turn into something
much more difficult for an adolescent user depending on the level of
vulnerability encountered during the formative adolescent stage. This argument is
strengthened when we consider society's high standards of male and female
beauty.

III. Conclusion

In sum, the study has demonstrated several effects of cyberbullying on teenagers’ emotions and
personalities. Victims of cyberbullying are prone to develop depressive symptoms such as
insomnia and over-thinking. The worst case could happen, which increased the suicidal thoughts
and tendencies after going through the cyberbullying situation. On top of that, it could also trigger
the externalizing issue, academic performance, and eating disorder.

Other Ideas to Conclude:

These effects may worsen the victims’ overall mental health and affect their quality of life, and
they might last for years after the bully has taken action. Therefore, the cyberbullying issue should
be taken seriously in this modern time, where the significance of gadgets usage should be
controlled as it could lead to the misconduct of electronic technologies and their platform.

Clincher Ideas:
It is clear that cyberbullying on teenagers negatively affects their emotions and personalities.

References

Johanis, M. A., Bakar, A. R. A., & Ismail, F. (2020). Cyber-Bullying Trends Using Social Media

Platform: An Analysis through Malaysian Perspectives. Journal of Physics: Conference

Series, 1529(2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1529/2/022077

Nixon, C. L. (2014). Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health.

Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 5, 143–

158. https://doi.org/10.2147/ahmt.s36456

Perry, M. B. (2015). Emotional and Social Effects of Cyberbullying on Adolescents. [Master’s

thesis, City University of Seattle], 52–58. Library & LRC City University of Seattle.

Farhangpour, P., Maluleke, C., & Mutshaeni, H. N. (2019). Emotional and academic effects of

cyberbullying on students in a rural high school in the Limpopo province, South Africa.

SA Journal of Information Management, 21(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajim.v21i1.925