Cyberbullying
in Singapore
Singapore ranked 2nd
in the world for cyber bullying (only behind the US). Widespread access to the Internet
contributes to this alarming statistic (Scott, 2013), to address the issue, the
government recently passed a harassment bill of 2013 allowing for judiciary
action against offenders. Yet this measure seems to be inadequate in addressing
the issue. Current measures that are primarily
focused on adults, do not target the correct audience. The biggest victims of
cyber-bullying are teenagers between the ages of 8-17 (Family & Life,
2014). In recent times the rise of social media has made it a convenient medium
to perpetuate cyberbullying.. A viable solution is for the Ministry of
Education to formulate a policy that group students together to form blogging
groups (on social media platforms). These groups will serve to help students
practice ‘correct’ cyber-ethics. The friendships form from these groups will
also help boost self-confidence and buffer against potential cyber-bullying
acts.
Addressing
the issue
Bullying is often a rite of passage that one
goes through in life. Advancement in Internet technology only shifts its
‘playing-field’ from the playground onto the Internet. The traditional act of
inflicting wilful and repeated harm on others has just taken on an electronic
form (Family & Life, 2014). Yet its impact has been exacerbated.
Particularly in Singapore, 33% out of 4000 students surveyed claim to have experienced
some form of cyber-bullying in their lives (Baig, 2014). Social media have
increased the frequency of exchange between individuals. It has overcomes the
physical boundaries of time and space. Over
the net, individuals comment and interact, round the clock in the comfort of
their homes. This characteristic empowers
individuals to commit the offence, as they are able to hide behind comfort of
their computer screens.
Social media have also
exacerbated the impact of cyber-bullying because on Social media, the act of
cyber bullying, is now magnified to a larger audience and the ‘act’ remains
permanently visible. Unlike a physical bullying, the post online is now
accessible by all friends of both the perpetrator and the victim. The outreach of the post is also widened
because the post can visited and revisited by anyone at anytime. Hence as the
proportion of the act is magnified, so does the shame inflicted on the victim.
Effects of cyber-bullying
range from depression to societal deviant behaviour. The suicide by a 16-year
old Burmese girl, after her ex-boyfriend hurled insults at her on Facebook,
highlights the severity of the issue. It
also necessitates a deeper resolve to solve the problem.
Current Solution
Currently there are 2
measures implemented to reduce the level of cyber-bullying in Singapore. The Harassment
act of 2013, which allows for policing and civil actions to be taken against
offenders (Neo, 2014), is a reactive measure that is ineffective. The target
group for cyber-bullies are mainly teenagers. Being teenagers, undergoing
puberty, they are irrational and are guided by feelings. The effect of the act,
other then serving as deterrence, is largely ineffective.
The second measure would
be the cyber-ethic application that is created to educate the public about
correct online practices. Based on the previous premise, teenagers commit cyber-bullying
not because of the lack of awareness, but rather due to impulsive feelings and
immaturity. Hence current measures should be directed towards the area of
‘feelings’ rather then imparting knowledge.
Proposed
Solution
Changing
the method of which ‘cyber-ethics’ is transmitted across will increase its
appeal and hence effectiveness. Since teenagers spend most of their time
outside of home in schools, the Ministry of Education (MOE) should be involved
in the next step of education. MOE can implement a policy that combines
teaching, social media ethics with ‘group-work’ into its current teaching
pedagogy.
Currently
every secondary student is required to have a Co-Curriculum activity (CCA).
Upon graduation a grade is given based on their performance, which contributes
towards their O level scores. School can
include a component that requires students to come together to create a social media
portfolio that demarcates milestones that they undergo during their 4 years of
CCA. There will be guidelines in place to ensure that the portfolios are
maintained according to the standards of accurate cyber-ethics. Moreover this portfolio has to be done in
groups and every group member has to comment on each other’s portfolio.
Research show that
cyber-bullies are often people who have been bullied (No Bullying, 2015). Bullying often occurs among acquaintances. By
requiring students to write social media portfolios online, in groups, will
help foster deeper friendships. Through increased online interactions, students
will be able to gain a deeper understanding of their friend’s lives. They will
also be able to foster deeper and stronger friendships. As such the probability
of cyber-bullying will be directly reduced. Since cyber-bullying is often
committed by cyber-bullies, this policy will hence act to stop the
‘domino-effect’ of cyber-bullying.
Cyber-bullying is a rite
of passage but the impacts are still devastating. Yet impacts vary drastically among victims.
This variation is due to the differences in the level of self-confidence that
individuals possess. A self-confident individual will give little heed to
negative comments, should the act occur, and recovery quickly. The “group-work”
policy suggested, plays a role in building up the self-confidence in students.
By having to actively comment on each friends online portfolio, its act as a
check and balance on any cyber-bullying that can potentially happen. Moreover
since teenagers are guided largely by feelings, the act of having a friend as a
constant lookout will boost their confidence. This will help them hedge against
any potential occurrence of cyber-bullying
Conclusion
Education plays an
important role in these processes but it must be executed in a manner that is
specific to teenagers. Teenagers are at
the age where feelings govern over their actions. Hence a more effective policy
is one that promotes friendship and transfer correct behavioural standards in a
subtle manner. Nonetheless cyber-bullying must be a recognise as a rite of
passage and while effort should be made
to reduce its occurrence, measures should also be tailored to help students
ride through the period
(1009 words)
References
Cyber bullying statistics 2014. (2015).
Retrieved March 9, 2015, from http://nobullying.com/cyber-bullying-statistics-2014/
Nawira Baig. (2014, Aug 15). 1 in 3 students in
Singapore have been victims of cyberbullying. Retrieved on 9 March, 2015, from Vulcan Post :https://sg.news.yahoo.com/1-3-students-singapore-victims-070013753.html
Neo Chai Chin. (2014, Mac 14). Anti-harassment laws to fight ‘social
scourge’. Retrieved on 9March, 2015, from Today:
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/anti-harassment-laws-fight-social-scourge
New law takes on cyberbullying in Singapore.
(2014). Retrieved Mar 9, 2015, from http://nobullying.com/new-law-takes-on-cyberbullying-in-singapore/
Meiling Wong, C. (n.d). The class bully. Retrieved on 9 March, 2015,
from http://sg.theasianparent.com/bullying_in_singapore/
Singapore is the second highest nation of
cyberbullies. (2014). Retrieved March 9, 2015, from http://familyandlife.sg/Nurture/2014/03/Singapore_Second_Highest_Nation_Cyberbullies
Scott, R. (2013, Jan 28). What you really need
to know about cyber-bullying in singapore. Retrieved on March 9, 2015, from Singapore Business Review: http://sbr.com.sg/information-technology/commentary/what-you-really-need-know-about-cyber-bullying-in-singapore
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