New forms of violence among peers

From bullying to cyberbullying

Abstract

Peer harassment or bullying is a form of violence that combines certain characteristics of the parties involved (children and adolescents) and the context where they take place (educational or recreational institutions). The arrival of new technology tools results in cyberbullying, a new form of bullying. These forms of violence may have a serious impact on the mental or physical health of the victim, or even both, as well as social, family and academic consequences.
The study presents the clinical case of an adolescent who was a victim of traditional bullying first and digital bullying afterwards, and had a severe suicide attempt. A depressive disorder was diagnosed, and later on post-traumatic symptoms added to the clinical presentation. Based on this case, the characteristics of bullying in general, and cyberbullying in particular were analysed. The victim's risk factors were assessed, and the serious impact of such phenomenon on victims was studied for the short and long term. The study further analysed the psychopathology of the attacker or attackers considering a few characteristics in their childhood and adolescence. The case studied evidenced the need to identify risk situations, to define appropriate strategies for prevention and intervention, as well as the need to encourage the right use of new technologies. Access to technology without close (adult) supervision may lead to the development of harmful practices or may even result in youngsters´ exposure to violence situations.