#BTColumn – No place for cyberbullying

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today Inc.

Cyberbullying is a real and present danger in our Barbadian society. Last week’s story of the young man coming out of an 11+ plus examination, being interviewed, making a mistake in his speech and quickly correcting it only to find himself being taunted and ridiculed highlights the serious problem that exists for many young people. And it’s a problem that we in society tend to ignore or brush aside. We think it only happens in the so-called “bigger countries”.

Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith’s admission that cyberbullying is fast becoming a problem in Barbados should cause us to pay closer attention to this negative trend. The Commissioner points out that this problem is now entrenched in Barbadian behavior.

The Prime Minister’s intervention and that of other persons and agencies was both timely and important in bringing closure to his unfortunate experiences.

If you haven’t been at the receiving end of such types of bullying, then it is difficult to fully comprehend the emotions and pain that come with experiencing such taunts. For younger persons, the challenges in overcoming such ridicule can be more severe. The feeling of taking one’s own life, as voiced by this young man, is not uncommon. These feelings can last a lifetime if no interventions happen.

Bullying has always been around. And most, if not all of us, have at some point in time been a victim of some form of bullying, subtle or open. In today’s world with the internet, social media and their vast tentacles, bullying has evolved into cyberbullying with even more potency to destroy people’s lives. With the touch of a button you can send a video viral and pictures or words that can be much more harmful than the ‘sticks and stones’ that may break bones. And more insidious is the fact that cyberbullying allows for the bully to hide behind fake accounts, fake names and identities.

As I researched this topic, I recognized that over the past few years Barbadians have been engaged in discussions on cyberbullying and its effects on our society. Back in 2017, the then Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development Steve Blackett told a group of young persons that, “Cyber abuse and cyberbullying affect your self-worth, which is so vital to your happiness. If you don’t feel good about yourself, then it is going to be somewhat hard to feel good about anything else…”

The problem should continue to be addressed in Barbados and should be reviewed from all angles – from the victim’s as well as the perpetrators’ perspectives. The Commissioner of Police pointed out that there are laws to protect citizens from this growing scourge. The media have highlighted those sections of the law that speak to cyberbullying. These sections should be repeated often and posted in schools and in other public spaces.

The reality is that not only young persons are involved in cyberbullying. Oftentimes, adults are the main culprits or join in the ridicule after the offensive post has gone viral.

Parents, teachers and responsible guardians should be always on guard for the signs of bullying in persons under their care, either as perpetrators or victims. We should never encourage anyone to bully another person. Sometimes what we as adults may think of as harmless fun or just a joke can be, and most often is, a source of immense pain and suffering to the individuals at the receiving end.

[Every individual is different and some will be strong enough to brush aside such acts of ridicule, but some individuals are not that way. The effect can be very damaging to a person’s self-worth and identity and can lead to suicide. Adults must be more responsible in this regard and understand the signs and symptoms.

Several studies in developed countries across the world have found an increasing rate of suicide among young persons as a result of bullying. One study I came across highlighted the following:

“Adults do not always understand the seriousness of cyberbullying. Research shows that 99 per cent of teens use the internet on a regular basis, and 74 per cent of girls aged 12-18 spend more time on chat rooms or sending text messages than doing homework (Shariff, 2005). One study shows that only 10 per cent of parents believe their children have been bullied online, while 40 per cent of kids reported they had been victims (Brown, Cassidy, Jackson, 2009). The consequences can be psychologically and socially devastating as kids do not always know who their abusers are. At an age when peer acceptance is crucial, the internet becomes the perfect medium for adolescent anxieties to play themselves out, sometimes resulting in suicide attempts or loss of a child (Shariff, 2005).”

Attention must also be paid to the motivating factors that drive individuals to want to bully another person. Interestingly, one of the factors I came across is low self-esteem. So the same effect the bully has on the victim is what he/she is suffering from. Among other factors listed are: wanting to dominate others and improve their social status, having a lack of remorse or failing to recognise their behaviour as a problem, feeling angry or frustrated, struggling socially and/or being the victim of bullying themselves.

The laws regarding cyberbullying should be stringently enforced and persons charged under the Computer Misuse Act should be brought before the Court and their stories highlighted. This is one form of deterrent. As stated by Magistrate Bannister in a case that was recently reported in the media, “These allegations are serious in that once a person is stigmatized by rumour or such a publication that stain remains and is hard to remove. I must deter persons from behaving in such a manner.”

Unfortunately, cyberbullies may hide under false names and identities, so tracking them may be harder. In the case of young persons who are cyberbullies, responsible adults should always be on the lookout as to whether their young ones are the ones who are doing the crime.

It is wonderful news that the outcome with the young man last week was positive and he managed to overcome those who sought to lower his self-worth and self-esteem. I hope those who engaged in the despicable acts against him will be made to go through some programs that would help them see the error of their ways.

Let us all play our part in stamping out bullying, cyber or otherwise.

Suleiman Bulbulia is a Justice of the Peace; Secretary of the Barbados Muslim Association; Muslim Chaplain at the Cave Hill Campus, UWI and a Childhood Obesity Prevention Champion. Email: suleimanbulbulia@hotmail.com.