Just as the victims of traditional bullying suffer from what they have experienced, victims of cyberbullying also suffer from the harassment they have received. Cyberbullying victims usually suffer from psychological problems due to the torment they have experienced online. This is true because cyberbullying may cause a victim to feel alone and isolated. Unlike traditional bullying which "usually involves a face-to-face confrontation cyber victims may never see or identify their harasser" (Traci Pedersen). This may create a feeling of helplessness and lower self-esteem in victims. According to Sherri Gordon (What are the Effects of Cyberbullying), cyberbullying victims may suffer from depression, anxiety and other psychological problems such as:
1. Feeling Overwhelmed: More often than usual, victims of cyberbullying will deal with more than one bully who sends harassing messages through social media. This may cause the victim to feel stressed and overwhelmed not knowing who and how many bullies there are attacking them.
2. Feeling Powerless: The victim often feels powerless because they cannot confront the bully or bullies since they do not know who they are. Victims also feel powerless because they have no control over when the bullying takes place. Hurtful messages from bullies can appear at any time during the day or night, leaving the victim feeling powerless over the entire situation.
3. Dissatisfied with themselves: Cyberbullies often attack individuals in ways that leave them questioning their self-worth and appearance. Unfortunately, victims will often try to change the person they are in an attempt to end the cyberbullying they receive, but the bullying does not always end.
4. Alone and Isolated: Many times victims of cyberbullying will feel trapped by all of the negative messages they are receiving and will oftentimes isolate themselves hoping that this will end the cyberbullying. When victims isolate themselves they are at risk of losing their friends.
5. Suicidal Thoughts: Unfortunately, cyberbullying victims will feel that there is nothing else that they can do to stop the bullying that they are receiving. This may cause victims to have suicidal thoughts.
The following graphs from What are the Effects of Cyberbullying show the many emotions that victims of cyberbullying can experience. As you can see from the bar graph, male and female victims both experience similar emotions when confronted with harmful messages through social media.
1. Feeling Overwhelmed: More often than usual, victims of cyberbullying will deal with more than one bully who sends harassing messages through social media. This may cause the victim to feel stressed and overwhelmed not knowing who and how many bullies there are attacking them.
2. Feeling Powerless: The victim often feels powerless because they cannot confront the bully or bullies since they do not know who they are. Victims also feel powerless because they have no control over when the bullying takes place. Hurtful messages from bullies can appear at any time during the day or night, leaving the victim feeling powerless over the entire situation.
3. Dissatisfied with themselves: Cyberbullies often attack individuals in ways that leave them questioning their self-worth and appearance. Unfortunately, victims will often try to change the person they are in an attempt to end the cyberbullying they receive, but the bullying does not always end.
4. Alone and Isolated: Many times victims of cyberbullying will feel trapped by all of the negative messages they are receiving and will oftentimes isolate themselves hoping that this will end the cyberbullying. When victims isolate themselves they are at risk of losing their friends.
5. Suicidal Thoughts: Unfortunately, cyberbullying victims will feel that there is nothing else that they can do to stop the bullying that they are receiving. This may cause victims to have suicidal thoughts.
The following graphs from What are the Effects of Cyberbullying show the many emotions that victims of cyberbullying can experience. As you can see from the bar graph, male and female victims both experience similar emotions when confronted with harmful messages through social media.