Online bullying and suicide risk
by Elana Premack Sandler, L.C.S.W., M.P.H.
Have we reached the tipping point?
Is cyber-bullying about to become unacceptable?
If media coverage can be an indicator of conventional wisdom, then we might just be on the verge of reaching a critical cultural moment.
A spate of local, state, and national media coverage of cyber-bullying occurred after the suicide death of Massachusetts teenager Phoebe Prince just a few weeks ago. Prince completed suicide after being bullied online and in school by classmates. Glamour magazine included an article in their March issue about online gossip andbullying, presenting it as an issue that affects young adults, too. And, for us "grown-ups," there have even been some brave folk who have come out against the nastiness that ensues in the public comments section of almost every website that enables the public to have a say.
The fact that online comments - whether from people we know or completely anonymous - have led anyone to suicide should be a clue to their danger.
The Web has changed how we communicate. The old-school equivalent of online bullying would have been leaving a note on or in someone's locker, or starting a rumor that would be spread by word of mouth. Now, the Web allows for, and in some ways encourages, anyone to say anything, and anyone to access anything. That means that when I Google a colleague's name, I can find out professional as well as deeply personal information that I can choose to keep to myself - or continue to spread around via the vast social media resources on the Web. The ramifications of a rumor are greater; the anonymous note is read by virtually everyone.
The sting isn't different just because it's online or anonymous, rather than face-to-face. I know how hurt I've been when I've read insensitive comments on this blog. I can't imagine how I would feel, or how I might respond, if every time I logged onto this blog, or my Facebook account, or my e-mail, a collection of mean messages awaited me. Anyone with vulnerability, like a teen or a socially isolated individual, someone who uses online communication as a primary way of connecting with the world, would be even more impacted by bullying messages.
Bullying prevention and appropriate intervention needs to become intrinsic to suicide prevention, particularly for youth and teens. Teachers, counselors, and others who work directly with young people are willing to have the conversation about bullying, so let's make that conversation about suicide prevention, too. I'd rather not wait until an undeniable link between bullying and suicide can be proven - it seems real enough to me right now.
