With the advancement in technology and the availability of the Internet infrastructure in Singapore, social networking has become accessible to almost everyone. Social media serves as a platform for virtual networkings. However, it is increasingly used by teenagers to express their discontentment over others. A worrying trend has prevailed, such that more teenagers are involved in cyberbullying. Research has shown that Singapore recorded the second highest cases of cyberbullying among teenagers (Singapore is the Second Highest Nation of Cyberbullies, n.d.). Cyberbullying is detrimental as it causes psychological and emotional pressure on the victims. In some occasions, cyberbullying poses threat to the physical well-being of the victims such that they resort to committing suicide as a way out of the bullying. To counter this problem, various corrective measures such as the anti-harassment laws and counselling programmes were implemented by the government. Nevertheless, while these corrective measures are crucial, preventive measures through education in school and at home remain the most fundamental solution to suppressing cyber-bullying among teenagers in Singapore.
Various corrective measures to alleviate the problem of cyberbullying have been introduced by the government. Corrective measures focus on rehabilitating the victims and offenders of cyberbullying incidents. The anti-harassment laws, passed in March 2014 by the parliament, aims at countering cyberbullying. It emphasises on the importance of protecting possible victims against harassment by outlining proper cyberspace conducts and punishments for those who break the law (Neo, 2014). This law allows the authority to exercise jurisdiction against offenders through corrective measures such as fines and jail sentences, depending on the severity of the case. On top of that, the government also works closely with social support groups to rehabilitate cyberbully offenders. It includes counselling and medical treatments for repeated offenders who are believed to have underlying mental problems. In schools, counselling help are provided for the victims and the offenders who are involved in cyberbullying.
However, such corrective measures only provide a short-term solution to the problem. It does not necessarily prevent cyberbullying from reoccurring. This is because research has shown that the reason as to why these teenagers engage in cyberbullying is because they were either victims themselves or have seen someone close to them being bullied through cyberspace (Delete Cyberbullying - Why Do People Cyberbully, n.d.). On top of that, some offenders mention that cyberbullying allows them to project their power and superiority over their victims. They derive pleasure from the sufferings of their victims. To make matter worse, offenders often remain anonymous. This complicate the effectiveness of corrective measures as discussed above since it ignores the motivational factors that drive these teenagers to engage in cyberbullying.
Preventive measure is therefore crucial to get to the baseline of this problem. This is because it offers a mechanism to prohibit cyberbullying from happening. One of the most fundamental aspect of preventive measure is education. Educating the social media users about the cyberspace ethics and restrictions, particularly the teenagers, allows a friendly and safe cyberspace environment. The government, together with the Singapore Children's society for instance, has introduced bully-free campaigns to educate and nurture teenagers to be ethical cyberspace users (Singapore Children's Society - Bully-Free Campaign, n.d.). This campaign also seeks to create awareness of the worrying trend of cyberbullying, and it calls for the involvement of the family and the community to counter cyberbullying. On top of that, the Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced the Cyber Wellness programme in schools, where "students learn to respect others by thinking through what they publish online so that they do not hurt others" (Cyber Wellness Programme, 2009). Through these campaigns, teenagers are often reminded of the dangers and consequences of cyberbullying and thus, distant them from engaging in such activities.
Such efforts, however, require constant reminders and commitments for it to be effective in the long run. One can argue that education in school alone is insufficient. It also requires education and regulation at home. Parents could play their part by monitoring their children's cyberspace behaviour and also detect if their children is a victim of cyberbullying, so that early help can be provided. For the individuals, they should be committed to observe proper cyberspace ethics. Individuals should not respond to any cyber-threats and get immediate help if they find themselves falling in the cyberbullying trap.
In conclusion, there is no solitary measures that could best counter cyberbullying. Nonetheless, we can argue that preventive measures is more fundamental in dealing with this problem. Preventive measures serve as a first-step in suppressing cyberbullying. Every agent in the society have pivotal role to play. Countering cyberbullying is therefore a joint effort among the state, the community, the family and the individual.
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References
Cyber Wellness Programmes. (2009, September 14). Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/parliamentary-replies/2009/09/cyber-wellness-programmes.php
Delete Cyberbullying - Why Do People Cyberbully? (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://www.deletecyberbullying.org/why-do-people-cyberbully/
Neo, C. (2014, March 14). Anti-harassment laws to fight 'social scourge' Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/anti-harassment-laws-fight-social-scourge
Singapore Children's Society - Bully-Free Campaign. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://www.bullyfreecampaign.sg/cyber_bullying/index_cyber.php
Singapore is the Second Highest Nation of Cyberbullies. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://familyandlife.sg/Nurture/2014/03/Singapore_Second_Highest_Nation_Cyberbullies
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