four 300 word discussion and three 150- word response.APA format.APA citation. No plagiarism.

Internet Crime

            The internet has managed to penetrate the society in such a way that it constitutes pretty much everyday life. It is this intensive involvement with the internet that keeps the public at risk of crimes perpetrated through the platform (Whittaker & Kowalski, 2015). I have a friend who experienced cyberbullying through her Instagram account. I must admit that prior to the experience, I did not understand how pervasive cyberbullying has become in the modern world. My friend posted a photo of herself during summer, and as it was, she seemed happy and in a holiday mood. As one would expect, few positive comments and a lot of likes should have been the result. The contrary happened and there were a lot of negative comments on the picture. Many users commented that she had a big stomach and that her forehead had spots which made her look ugly. I must admit that this was hurtful even to me although I was not the subject in the picture.

            Halder & Jaishankar (2016) state that cyberbullying has developed to be one of the major internet crimes behind hacking. The crime which is also referred to as cyber harassment is common among teenagers and it ranges from body shaming to abuses on social media websites (Halder & Jaishankar, 2016). As per my experience, I learned that cyberbullying can lead to psychological challenges such as self-harm. My friend, who is the victim, became too conscious about her appearance that she did not leave home for about two months. In the end, a counsellor had to be involved for her to be well again. In conclusion, internet crimes such as cyberbullying and hacking should not be entertained considering their significant effect on the victim.

 

References

Halder, D. & Jaishankar, K. (2016). Cyber crimes against women in India. California: SAGE Publications.

Whittaker, E. & Kowalski, R. M. (2015). Cyberbullying via social media. Journal of School Violence, 14(1), pp. 11-29.