Effects of cyberbullying can be 'horrifying' for some children

By Staff Writer

A teenage boy from Long Island, New York, is a self-proclaimed victim of digital abuse. He admits that he has felt the wrath of cyberbullying, a growing problem in the U.S. that is garnering national attention following the recent suicide of a New Jersey college student.

Jason, who is 13 years old, recently told CNN that he has been bullied through text messages, e-mails and Facebook posts. Unlike face-to-face bullying, cyber abuse can cause widespread humiliation because of the vast audience the online jabs can reach.

"It's really horrifying the next day after the message has been sent around, and you're the laughingstock of the school," Jason told the news provider. "You have no idea why or what's funny."

The news source cited a Kaiser Family Foundation study which reports that children devote an average of seven hours per day to their gadgets. Unlike a classroom or a playground, digital technology and social networks cannot be monitored by adults as effectively.

Last month, college student Tyler Clementi committed suicide after two of his peers allegedly placed a camera in his dorm room and then broadcast his sexual encounter on the Internet.

The latest data compiled by the Cyberbullying Research Center reports that one in five youths between age 10 and 18 have been a victim of - or participated in - cyberbullying.