Generally speaking, do people who resort to cyber bullying have mental health issues? ?

Question

I have been thinking about this lately since a message board that I visit often has gotten really nasty. At first, I thought the people resorting to the nasty remarks and targeting others were just jerks, but then I started to wonder if they are more likely mentally disturbed, and acting out behind the anonymity of the internet.

Further, how do you think those people likely act in 'real life' -- are they as big of a bully offline as they are online, or are the generally the ones on the sidelines or in the background too afraid to confront a 'real' person?

Answer 1

well it depends i guess. if a mean, angry person went online i suppose they would act the same. why would they change behavior if they are like that just because they are online? but some people im sure just do those things online and not in real life. so i guess it be either really.

Answer 2

Defiantly, just think about it. They prolly feel under and want to bring themselves up by being horrible to other people. Its the same old song and dance since the bully in elementary school its just a more mature and high tec. way of doing it. lol

Answer 3

Only a small few are mentally unstable however most of them are just insecure, and feel safe behind the computer screen whilst they torment someone through the web to feel as though they have a power in which they do not have in reality

Answer 4

In real life, cyber bullies tend to have no power.  They are generally quiet people with little or no friends and are just really, really bored.

Yes, a small percentage is mentally disturbed.  But not a lot.

Answer 5

I don't know if anyone's done a study. But reading some of those boards it's hard not to get that impression. On the other hand, people who have real mental health issues often are more sensitive to people with problems - and the cyber bullies will never be accused of empathy or understanding.  

I've linked to a great New York Times article that profiles trolls. It may give you a better sense of what they're like.  

Answer 6

I think they are a mix of everything you said. Some are probably just too wimpy to say stuff in life so they take it out here, some are probably mental, some are just jerks and some might just be normal and having a bad day. I've done it before and regretted it later. It is like road rage. It just happens sometimes and then you realize just how stupid you were being. But continual bullying i'd think is something more than just a person who was having a bad day.

Answer 7

Nahh, I've cyberbullied before and I don't have any mental issues.

I just didn't like that person.

:]

Hope I helped!

Answer 8

There is no disorder for bullying.  There is no disorder for rude behavior.

Answer 9

check out this wikki page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber_bully...

i qutoe somethings from that page for you:

In September 2006 abcNews produced a survey done by I-Safe.Org. The data were based on a 2004 survey of 1,500 students between grades 4-8.

The results were as followed:

    * 42 percent of kids have been bullied while online. One in four have had it happen more than once

    * 35 percent of kids have been threatened online. Nearly one in five had had it happen more than once.

    * 21 percent of kids have received mean or threatening e-mails or other messages.

    * 58 percent of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once.

    * 58 percent have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.

Comparison to traditional bullying

Certain characteristics inherent in online technologies increase the likelihood that they will be exploited for deviant purposes.[2] Firstly, electronic bullies can remain virtually anonymous using temporary email accounts, pseudonyms in chat rooms, instant messaging programs, cell-phone text messaging, and other Internet venues to mask their identity; this perhaps frees them from normative and social constraints on their behavior. Furthermore, cyber-bullies might be emboldened when using electronic means to carry out their antagonistic agenda because it takes less energy and courage to express hurtful comments using a keypad or a keyboard than with one’s voice.

Second, electronic forums can often lack supervision. While chat hosts regularly observe the dialog in some chat rooms in an effort to police conversations and evict offensive individuals, personal messages sent between users (such as electronic mail or text messages) are viewable only by the sender and the recipient, and therefore outside the regulatory reach of such authorities. In addition, teenagers often know more about computers and cellular phones than their parents or guardians and are therefore able to operate the technologies without worry or concern that a probing parent will discover their experience with bullying (whether as a victim or offender).

Thirdly, the inseparability of a cellular phone from its owner makes that person a perpetual target for victimization. Users often need to keep their phone turned on for legitimate purposes, which provides the opportunity for those with malicious intentions to engage in persistent unwelcome behavior such as harassing telephone calls or threatening and insulting statements via the cellular phone’s text messaging capabilities. Cyber-bullying thus penetrates the walls of a home, traditionally a place where victims could seek refuge from other forms of bullying.

One possible advantage for victims of cyber-bullying over traditional bullying is that they may sometimes be able to avoid it simply by avoiding the site/chat room in question. Email addresses and phone numbers can be changed; in addition, most e-mail accounts now offer services that will automatically filter out messages from certain senders before they even reach the inbox, and phones offer similar caller ID functions. Unfortunately, this obviously does not protect against all forms of cyber bullying; publishing of defamatory material about a person on the internet is extremely difficult to prevent and once it is posted, millions of people can potentially download it before it is removed.

Answer 10

They're just a bunch of wimpy little cowards who have to hide behind a computer and pretend they're important.  

If you could see the cyber bullies you might laugh your socks off; probably someone with a little 12 year-old kid's mentality who thinks they're some kind of hotshots.

Remember the Mom who, not long ago, sent messages to a neighbor girl she didn't like and caused her to commit suicide?  She's going to be gone to prison for a very long time.  Now, I hear the victim's family has sued her for millions of dollars.  That should be a great learning experience for stupidity.

Answer 11

they have nothing wrong with their mental state. they will just be the people that want to bully and have no physical power. so being behind a monitor allows them to be the bully they want to be as well as them not being in threat of real people.

In real life they are probably friendly people on the outside, deep down they could be hiding something that is only relieved by bullying.