Cyber-bullying

Numerous mainstream opinions have proposed the positive impacts of using social media.
Social support is one of the most widespread outcomes of social media, which is considered to
be a predictive feature of well-being (Kim, J. and Lee, J. R, 2011). The usage of social media can
help smooth the progress of interpersonal relationships (Liu, C. and Yu, C., 2013)and increase
encouraging interaction within teenagers (Oh, H. J., Ozkaya, E. and Larose, R, 2014) therefore
enhancing users’ supposed social support. On the one hand, social support can lessen
individuals’ perceived stress (Nabi et al., 2013) and bring on positive affect (Oh, H. J., Ozkaya, E.
and Larose, R, 2014) making way to an enhanced life satisfaction in them. In contrast, online
social support can strengthen individuals' offline social support, both of which can optimistically
influence the awareness of well-being (Liu, C. and Yu, C., 2013). However, according to a few
researches, social media can negatively impact people’s life satisfaction via some harmful
outcomes. (Brooks, S., 2015) stated that using social media can create technostress and a low
level of task performance, in negative relation with happiness. According to (Chen, W. and Lee,
K, 2013)interaction on social media can end up in communication overload and low level of self-
esteem, causing psychological distress amongst teenagers. (Chou, H. G. and Edge, N., 2012)
claimed that social media users tend to compare their lives with others, hence they are more
likely to be subjected to a low life satisfaction. It can be seen that the fundamental mechanisms
remain uncertain, hence the relationship between social media usage and life satisfaction calls
for research effort.

Most teenagers use social media everyday (Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A. and Zickuhr, K,
2010)which facilitates an assessment of the existing dark side of social media use for teens.
Teenagers internet use has been linked with decreased well-being (Kraut, 1998), and
unnecessary use has been linked to depression (Young, K.S. and Rogers, R.C., 1998)anxiety
(Dalbudak, 2013), aggression (Lim et al., 2015), and social isolation (Kraut, 1998). Teenagers
who use social media and related platforms too much may also build up addictive behaviors
(Balakrishnan, V. and Shamim, A, 2013), particularly when they have less offline social ties
(Yang, S., Liu, Y. and Wei, J., 2016) and experience social anxiety. Such addictive behaviors lead
to poor mental health and an high risk of identity theft with the use of malicious profiles (Rose,
2011). Teens also use social media to accomplish adverse gratifications such as voyeurism and
exhibitionism (Mäntymäki, M. and Islam, A.K.M.N, 2016). Adverse effects of social media on
mood have been linked to the personality of teens online connections and viewing behavior
(Lee, 2015), signifying that disclosure to certain online risks may be damaging to teens’
developmental growth (Burk, 2014). This has created a concern over the emotional and
psychological effects of risks teens come across online, counting sexual solicitations (Rice,
2015), privacy invasion (Berriman, L. and Thomson, R., 2015)and personal content exposure.
The increased use of social networking sites has triggered questions to come up about their
ability to make deception possible, social consciousness and the conception of defamatory
content, along with others (Bahney, 2006)One ethical form of this statement takes a
consequentiality approach which identifies what makes an action right or wrong are its
eventual consequences. From this approach, the importance in technology design should be on
getting benefit from the greatest good for the greatest number, and creators of social
networking sites are observed to have ethical responsibilities for making sure that their designs
are directed towards achieving the preferred goal. The developers, conversely, appear to hold a
user-oriented approach making social networking sites for people to play with. Although they
are compelled, to adjust particular aspects of communication through privacy and acceptable
policies, such perspectives are embattled at the members of sites in terms of what they can and
cannot do. In such case, the ethical focus shifts to what people should do and develop
expectation in terms of their moral obligations and rights. Such normative approach of morality
attribute agency to teenagers, while information technology is seen as an tool in their hands
which may be developed in ways that are morally acceptable or not.

Moreover, no such term like cyber bullying has being discussed by any traditional or modern
Muslim scholars. Though their thoughts revolve around the subject of those who are
subjugated and not given their rights as a outcome of unawareness or harmful cultural
practices. Bullying is a form of upsetting or oppressing or taking other’s right and may also be
considered as Zulm in the Arabic word for cruelty or unjust actions of exploitation, subjugation,
and wrongdoing, whereby a person may deprive others of their rights or fails to fulfill his
obligations towards them as a fellow person. Cyber Bullying therefore is linked with attacking
and interruption to the rights of others in the course of various online mediums discussed
earlier. Islam provides clear instruction in regard to human social interaction and relation. This
principle are called Daruriyyat al Khamsah that implies on every single Muslim to protect his
religion (deen), life (nafs), reason or intellect (Aql), lineage (Nasl) and property (Mal) (Wan
Ibrahim Wan Ahmad, Asyraf Ab Rahman, Fadzli Adam,, 2004). Defense of these principles will
bring harmony in human society including peace within individual, family and community. Any
act of interruption of other’s right through email, or messages are prohibited. As the Prophet
(pbuh) mentions ‘‘The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe. The
emigrant is one who abandons those things God has prohibited" (Al-Bukhari). This hadith
clearly describe identification of Muslims.

Such characteristics distinguish those who act oppositely including offending other’s right and
have no concern to the dignity and honor of other people. So there is no room for cyber
bullying within the Islamic context since it say the opposite to positive values defined by Islam.
Another characteristic of a Muslim is that he does creates a problem for his other fellow
Muslim. That is why precautionary approach is much emphasized in Islam to shun bigger
disaster in individuals, families and community as a whole. The evidence for this is provided by
the following verse of the Quran: O you who have believed, avoid much (negative) assumption.
Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like
to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is
accepting of repentance and Merciful.

The main subject of the above verse is to shed some light on the concealed and secretive sins
that exist amongst Muslims. These sins are made from within one's self gives it a more toxic
effect in destroying Islamic brotherhood as a whole. Islam therefore, has the purpose to
destroy these ills from the very beginning. Suspicion is the root cause that leads to conducting
other evils mentioned in the verse, namely; backbiting, gossip and spying. Umar Ibn Khattab
said: "If your Muslim brother makes an ambiguous statement to you, you should only think the
best and you will find a good explanation for it." (Muwatta Imam Malik 422: 1797). If
suspicion, gossip and spying were already included under the wrong acts, prohibited by Islam,
then sending such content messages or with intention to blackmail, hurt or insult the person
that may lead to the ones self destruction shall be held accountable according to Islamic law.
(Rahman, 2013)

There is no lie that the difficult features of cyber-bullying create numerous challenges for
school leaders. According to research cyber-bullying can affect students’ skill to learn at school
(Devlin, 1997) and that sufferers face a range of emotional effects (Patchin, J. and Hinduja, S.,
2006), therefore this is not a experience that educators can ignore. Still, there are questions
linked to how school administrators can get involved when the cyber-bullying begins off school
grounds (Shariff, S. and Hoff, D.L., 2007). Still when the actions do occur at school or its
premises, noticing when the behavior is in the form of teasing, and when it turns up to bullying
is not easy for adults, who have normally not had personal experience with this form of event.
Adults may be ignorant of the serious nature and potential damage that cyber-bullying
presents. Moreover, teachers and administrators are not likely to see the behavior
immediately, making it more hard to respond to than usual forms of face-to-face bullying, and
many schools are short of the resources and know-how to investigate cyber-incidents. When
administrators do effort to get involved, they may find themselves in clash with parents of
cyber-bullies, who are often in denial about their child’s online activity or speedy to support
their child’s rights to engage in such conduct. All such factors add to the difficulty in getting rid
of cyber-bullying and point to the importance for more focused research on the frequency and
consequences of cyber-bullying in order for teachers and administrators to recognize and
respond accordingly.
Given the frequency of social media use among teens (Forsyth, 2013).it is impractical to
completely eradicate online risk exposure. Therefore, some researchers have moved away from
restricting teens behaviors on internet usage to address the risks that teens may unavoidably
encounter online, so that they can be flexible against them (Wisniewski, 2015).

For possible solutions to cyber-bullying, BCS code of conduct has laid out its own set of social
media conducts be to be followed, a few of them regarding Public Interest is that one should
have appropriate regard for public health, privacy, security and comfort of others and the
environment, they should also have due regard for the lawful rights of Third Parties, conduct
their professional activities without prejudice on the matter of sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, nationality, color, race, ethnic origin, religion, age or disability, or of any other state or
obligation and to encourage equal right of entry to the benefits of IT and seek to endorse the
addition of all sectors in society wherever opportunities come up. (REGULATIONS, 2015)

Facebook's code of conduct also does not tolerate illicit harassment or any exploitation by or of
workers ,guests, clients, or agency partners in the place of work or in a work-related
circumstances on the basis of sex, race, color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, ancestry,
citizenship, religion, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, ,
marital status, genetic information or any other class protected under valid federal, state, or
local law. One's obligations to uphold the privacy of information means that you may not share
any such information outside of Facebook unless Facebook has suitable non-disclosure
agreements in place. (Investors Relation)

To overcome the defensive stance schools take against cyber-bullying, the officials must take
measures to educate themselves and parents, as well as set up reasonable methods to put off
and deal with cyber-bulling. Schools that have taken chances to take a stand against cyber-
bullying have frequently had difficulties shaping their responsibilities and their legal rights
regarding discipline. Such decisions are best if determined before there is a problem because
federally funded schools have definite legal responsibilities that they must take action to or
face legal action. According to (Conn, 2002)there exist three important laws for school district
staff to be aware of: Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000, mandates approval of
technology protection of actions on every computer purchased with or supported by federal
funds to put off both children under 17 and adults from having access to certain unpleasant
visual materials on the Internet, Title VI of the Civil Right Act of 1964, on condition that that no
persons shall be barred from, deprived of the benefits of, or targeted to discrimination under
any agenda or activity receiving federal aid because of race, color, or national origin; and Title
IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, given that that no individual shall be excluded from,
deprived of the benefits of, or targeted to discrimination under any agenda or activity receiving
federal aid because of sex or gender (p. 72). It is fundamental that educators not only be
conscious of these laws, but also know how they are to be demonstrated in the school setting.
The Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000 states that schools must guard children when
they are on the Internet. To observe with this act schools often set up electronic filtering and
blocks, which reserves the access to certain web sites. Moreover, some schools give students a
password that enables educators to track how students are using the Internet (Beckerman, L.,
& Nocero, J., 2003)

To avoid cyber bullying It is apparent that schools must be at the middle of the solution to
affect change in the social climate of today’s teenagers. Schools are in an exceptional position
to both educate and, when necessary, take remedial action. It is as a result suggested that
school leaders think about the following three-branched approach for dealing with cyber-
bullying. The first idea is to educate students, educators, and parents on the consequences that
creep around in cyberspace and specific ways to guard students in this technological era. Many
schools, have happening this kind of schooling for students, using guest speakers at assemblies
and technology lessons to help students better comprehend the ways in which technology
poses a risk to their safety. The constraint to this intervention is that it can be very irregular and
places most of the load to remedy the problem on those victimized by cyber-bullying, a
normally relied on way out that is unjust to the target and does slight, if anything, to stop the
doer. Further, internet safety training, though very much needed, is a minute aspect of a
widespread approach, and worse, it can give school administrators an approach to check cyber
training off their list, and consider they have done their part, often with little follow-up.
Instead, internet training and conversation of ethical behavior need to involve students,
educators, and parents. For students this guidance and training must start at a young. making
them take part in discussions about the risks of bullying and how to by a supporter when they
see cyber-bullying behavior will help out to make a more positive school culture that is
beneficial all students. They should also be made part of the development of school district
policies and practices to stop and respond to cyber-bullying, since they are the group who
knows this experience best. For educators, it might mean forming a cadre of well-trained
teachers, counselors, and administrators to become safe contacts, providing students with a
place to turn if they are bullied or if they want to report doers or other students whom they
consider may be targets. Creating safe contacts would help lessen the student view that
schools do not care or will not act, and would lessen their fears about privacy. Training for
parents on the risks of this behavior, how to watch their child’s online behavior, and what to do
if they realize that their child is a contributor or a target, would close the circle and send a
message that cyber-bullying will be unbearable at school or at home. These are just a few ways
of the ongoing programs that could engage students, parents, teachers, and administrators
working as one to create new norms for adequate techno-behavior.. Parents and educators
may be focusing so much on making students feel well about themselves that they fail to see
the stress and dark side of existing teen life. Ignoring this truth results in young people who are
not prepared with the necessary skills to handle peer interaction and negative response.
Possible remedies include a more methodical role for school counselors and teachers in helping
students discover to steer relationships, beginning in elementary school. Teachers and
administrators need more preparation about their role in recognizing and addressing to student
social tensions – including the need for watchfulness in maintaining school scenarios that do
not stand peer cruelty of any kind. Giving parenting sessions that focus on suitable responses to
their child’s social behavior could also lessen the blinders that parents often do not relate to
their own children. All such steps could be part of a rigorous school effort to assist students
handle break-ups, rejection, and jealousy; become more tolerant of students who are
dissimilar; understand the risks in ganging up; and learn to be associates, instead of enemies, to
one another. If we hope to limit the dangers of cyber-bullying, getting at these root issues is
key. (Dianne L. Hoff Sidney N. Mitchell,, 2009)
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