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UNVEILING THE CUR
BREAKING THE CHA
PROF. DR. MIRA
PHD CANDIDAT
PHD CANDIDATE
As the world continues to progress, line harassment, and aggressive beha-
and individuals undergo daily evolution, vior. Bullying may also occur because
challenges persist at an equal pace. Whi- students dislike each other, want to feel
le certain struggles held significant im- powerful, or simply want to be popular.
portance two decades ago, the difficul-
ties we face today might not have been The term “bullying” first emerged
recognized during that period. Howe- in Sweden in the late 1960s and early
ver, the lasting impact of these challen- 1970s, initially labeled as “mobbing.”
ges on human psychology remains cons- Daniel Olweus, a Scandinavian resear-
tant, affecting individuals’ psychological cher, used the terms “bully/victim” in
well-being and potentially causing harm. his studies, and nowadays, the term is
also known as “peer victimization” or
Struggles begin at an early age and, as “peer harassment” (Harris & Petrie,
one grows and interacts with more peop- 2003). Bullying is a complex behavior
le, they expand and diversify. They be- and is sometimes defined as an exces-
come more prominent in a societal con- sive behavior in some sources. Abusive
text, making coping more challenging. behaviors may not always be
Early struggles could involve learning overt; they can be subtle,
activities like writing and reading, and such as teasing or
later on, issues such as differences betwe- ignoring. Howe-
en children and parents, peer pressure, ver, children of-
and more may arise. Peer pressure, es- ten feel anxiety
pecially among high school and college and fear about
students, is quite prevalent. Students going to scho-
want to feel a sense of belonging within ol. Olweus (as
a group and, sometimes, they may sac- cited in Harris
rifice or engage in activities they think & Petrie, 2003)
could be fun or amusing. This can lead explained that
students towards smoking, bullying, on- bullying must
March 2024
RTAINS OF BULLYING:
AINS OF OPPRESSION
POLAZAREVSKA
E HATICE MUCI
MIA KOSTOVSKA
include the following four criteria: Cyberbullying - The Modern Face
of Bullying
-Bullying is a deliberate aggressive
behavior that causes harm to others. The emergence of cyberbullying in
-Bullying repeats itself once it has the continually evolving landscape of
occurred. the digital age has played a central
role as a source of urgent concern in
-Bullying occurs when there is an the field of psychology. This dynamic
imbalance of power. and ever-present threat has transfor-
-It usually happens without the vic- med people’s experiences of bullying,
tim’s provocation. infiltrating the online spaces whe-
re individuals live, work, and sociali-
According to Harris and Petrie ze, surpassing traditional boundaries.
(2003), bullying is defined as a harmful
and aggressive behavior repeated by a According to Patchin and Hinduja
person or a group stronger (2012), the term cyberbullying involves
than the victim and usu- the use of technology, such as compu-
ally without any provo- ters, phones, or any electronic device,
cation. Often, the per- to engage in repeated behaviors that ca-
petrators of bullying are use harm to others and negatively im-
aware of their actions. If pact the victim. According to the article
there is hostility betwe- “Cyberbullying via Social Media,” rese-
en the victim and the archers define cyberbullying as follows:
bullies, and the bullies “When we talk about cyberbullying; we
enjoy watching someo- mean bullying through email, instant
ne suffer, it is referred to messaging, social media, in a chat room,
as malignant bullying. on a website, in an online game, or via
a text message sent to a cell phone. For
example: If one person sends nasty mes-
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sages through email or shares negative beliefs about themselves, perpetuating
comments or information about another a cycle of self-doubt (Sourander et al.,
person on social media - such as Face- 2010). Additionally, the fear of encoun-
book - this is considered cyberbullying.” tering more online attacks can lead to hy-
(Whittaker & Kowalski, 2015, p. 14). pervigilance and high levels of anxiety.
The psychological effects of cyber- The consequences of cyberbullying
bullying are multifaceted. Victims of- can extend into adulthood. Research su-
ten experience high levels of anxiety, ggests that individuals who experienced
depression, and a constant sense of cyberbullying during their developmen-
vulnerability (Kowalski et al., 2014). tal years may carry emotional wounds
into their adult lives (Tokunaga, 2010).
The online environment’s perceived This emphasizes the urgency of ear-
anonymity provides bullies with the ly intervention and prevention efforts.
opportunity to exhibit behaviors they
would not display in face-to-face inte- As bullying behavior is closely linked
ractions, creating a sense of distance. with personality, considering the role
of personality in analyzing the profiles
Cyberbullying can be a trigger for of bullies is vital, encompassing mental
unpleasant emotions, including emotio- processes, behaviors, and attitudes. It
nal distress, fear, sadness, and social iso- should be remembered that personality
lation (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015). The traits are enduring characteristics throu-
continuous nature of digital communi- ghout an individual’s life. Our emotional
cation means that victims can be cons- states may fluctuate, leading to different
tantly exposed to harassment, making it thoughts and actions. Consequently, rat-
challenging to escape emotional turmoil. her than being just a manifestation of
one’s internal personality traits, bullying
The cognitive impact of cyberbullying might be more closely associated with so-
raises an important issue. Continuous cial actions and behaviors (Rigby, 2002).
exposure to harmful messages and th-
reats can diminish self-esteem and sel- Several strategies are employed to
f-worth. Victims may internalize negative prevent bullying. Some of these inclu-
March 2024
de education and awareness, creating
a positive school environment, peer
support, teaching online safety, victim
support, involving parents, community
participation, regular assessment, and
legal measures. Psychotherapy plays
a critical role in coping with the psy-
chological effects of bullying, both for
victims and, in some cases, for bullies.
Addressing emotional wounds, deve-
loping coping strategies, building sel-
f-esteem, recovering from trauma, en-
hancing social skills, and addressing
bullies’ behaviors are essential aspects.
These multifaceted approaches, in-
corporating psychological perspectives
and therapeutic elements, ultimately
create a comprehensive framework that
promotes a healthier and more empathe-
tic school and community environment.
Prof. Dr. Mira Polazarevska
PhD Candidate Hatice Muci
PhD Candidate Mia Kostovska
