Assoc. Dr. Derya Gül Ünlü evaluated the peer bullying that children inflict on each other in the virtual environment and the methods to combat it.
Ünlü explained that the concept of peer bullying, which is common among children, is the struggle of a child who is in a powerful or advantageous position to gain superiority over others. He noted that this struggle is usually verbal or psychological and sometimes physical conflicts that escalate into violence.
Explaining that in the past, bullying only manifested itself in the social circles of friends, but with the increase in digital use, it has moved to virtual environments and been linked to cyberbullying, Ünlü said: “Unfortunately, bullying among peers has become more diverse.” “Peer bullying, which was previously only observed at school and among friends, is now a social phenomenon.” “It is also often found in the media. “Traditional peer bullying is being replaced by forms of bullying on digital platforms.” said.
“Almost 70 percent of children know people who bully in their offline lives.”
Ünlü stated that according to a report released by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) in 2022 under the PISA 2018 program, 24 percent of students in Turkey are exposed to peer bullying or related cyberbullying every month. This figure is almost 4 percent of students. He explained that this means someone is subject to peer bullying and related cyberbullying.
Ünlü further mentioned that the bullying that children do to each other in the virtual environment is exposed through sarcastic content, videos and shares, and continued as follows:
“Almost 70 percent of children who are exposed to cyberbullying by their peers also know the bullying people in their offline lives. These children can be school friends, friends from the neighborhood, acquaintances from their immediate environment or peers. Content that “bullies” children online. The digital environment is spreading rapidly and this content puts the child in a difficult situation.” “It feeds on materials that can offend people. For example, insults, ridicule, mockery posts or a video with inappropriate content. Unfortunately.”, we often come across these on the Internet. It is a fact that these are increasing and becoming more widespread as schools are open.”
Ünlü pointed out that bullying in the virtual world can cause more psychological damage than traditional forms of bullying, both due to the speed of spread and the level of negative interaction it receives, saying:
“The rapid spread of content and the use of these images and materials in unwanted ways poses a major threat to children, unlike traditional forms of bullying. Content can be removed from the Internet in some way, but the harm it causes to children is great and cannot be measured. This effect can vary from child to child, and when or when “It is impossible to predict what kind of destruction it will cause. It is necessary to pay at least as much attention to peer bullying on digital platforms as traditional forms of bullying, and do not ignore it.
Ünlü emphasized that bullying among peers is increasing, especially during school opening hours, and that this should not be normalized, otherwise it may cause psychological problems in children, and said: “Bullying among peers can cause serious problems for the child. “It can lead to disruption, loss of self-esteem and relationship problems,” he said.
“In the fight against peer bullying, mediation methods should be preferred”
Derya Gül Ünlü pointed out that peer bullying has become very diverse and the methods to combat it have changed, and made the following assessment:
“In the fight against bullying, punitive strategies are generally preferred. This is an ineffective method that ignores the bully both at school and in social life. Here we need to talk about a system that we call reconciliation that involves both the bully and the bully.” Involve the victim early in the process. Find peace between children, identify the cause of the problem. What is more important is to constructively deal with what happened and why this behavior is wrong. Constructive strategies that emphasize compromise can help raise awareness of bullying. Giving a bully child the duty to protect bullied children, or a responsibility that can awaken this awareness, helps him understand that what he did was a mistake. “It is a method that can enable empathy.”
Ünlü explained that reconciliation methods would raise awareness, especially among young children, so that they “learn that what they are doing is wrong” from a young age. himself in the following years.
Ünlü concluded his words by emphasizing that in addition to reconciliation and counseling methods, families should also play an active role in this process:
“Our careers counselors play an important role in this, but it is beneficial for families to seek professional support in such cases and to address the types of bullying and the underlying causes. In particular, I think that families should also be involved in the process.” Just as there is a solution for when a child encounters a physical disorder. I should never say: “My child won't do that.”
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