Paper Example on Cyberbullying: Social Marketing Problem

Introduction

Cyberbullying is the act of sending intimidating information to other people using social media platforms. Selkie et al. (2016) explain that the advent of social media has fostered peer-based digital aggression that has spilled from the school playground to popular cybersphere platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook. Notably, the authors indicate that this vice is a critical mental health concern among schools in the United States, which can lead to adverse consequences, such as depressive symptoms, risky behaviours, and suicidal behaviors. According to the National Bullying Prevention Center (2019) more than one in every five students have been bullied in the United States. Some of the common cyberbullying practices entail making fun of people, spreading rumors, and leaking people's private videos.

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Espelage et al. (2018) state that 32% of U.S. children use digital networking platforms daily, which increases their risk of being victims of cyberbullying. The authors note that cyberbullying behavior is more rampant in public schools citing that 7% of students in these schools reported being victims of this behavior in 2013. Besides, research conducted by the author reveals that most adolescents are engaging in online aggression and this increases the number of targets or victims of online bullying. Cyberbullying is also present in other countries because of the rise in the use of social media networking sites. Li (2010) supports this notion claiming that one of the reasons why this behavior is growing among teenagers is because of the disconnect between adults and adolescents to provide the right support to potential victims.

Due to the increased rate of cyberbullying in the United States among middle and high school students, it is necessary for the state governments to prioritize the establishment of anti-cyberbullying policies in the school curricula. However, Donegan (2012) argues that the is lack of evidence-based information regarding the current cyberbullying trends as they tend to vary in nature. For instance, some perpetrators of this behavior have also been victims and this leads to contradictions on what are the right intervention strategies. Therefore, further research is necessary to eliminate the current trends in peer-relations that promote cyberbullying activities.

The Social Marketing Problem

The social marketing problem when addressing cyberbullying is the use of ethical social media networking practices. There is an increase in the prevalence of online bullying behaviors and the level of awareness of this behavior remains underdressed. Evidently, this behavior should be rejected by using proper social media regulations and activism to proper positive peer relations, mostly among adolescents.

Situational Analysis, Stakeholders, and Upstream Policy Issues

Considering situational analysis, stakeholders, and upstream policy issues, cyberbullying is influenced by the social factors that are present in the external school environment. In this regard, the main stakeholders for anti-cyberbullying reforms should be schools, parents, social media companies, and government agencies. Most peer interactions during adolescence are developed in the school environment, and online aggressive behaviour between high school students is widely influenced by their school relationships. Because of this, both schools and parents should be at the fore front of combating cyberbullying since they are in strategic positions to monitor and provide supports to students who are potential victims for this behaviour.

Consequently, social media networking cites should work under government regulation to ensure that they promote ethical peer interactions. The advent of numerous social media sites in the modern world has increased the engagement of students towards these sites with the promise of enhancing the creation of better social relationships. However, there is a lack of proper tools to combat online aggressive behaviour through social media networking platforms. For instance, it is easier for online bullies to create fake accounts to promote tormenting information concerning other people. Therefore, it is necessary for government agencies to increase the restrictions for social media companies to enhance their dedication towards promoting the establishment of positive social relationships.

Upstream policy issues, such as health reforms, are necessary to promote the level of psychological help availed to cyberbullying victims. Selkie et al. (2016) argue that bullying should be considered as a public health concern in the United States because of its prevalence in the country. The author suggests that while focussing of preventive bullying policies, states should also consider applying effective measures to curb the consequences of cyberbullying among high school students, such as offering psychological aid to victims. Therefore, upstream policy issues, such as health reforms, are essential in enhancing the creation of long-term cyberbullying prevention measures.

Social Marketing Theory

The transtheoretical model (TTM) is a social marketing theory that can be used to induce behavioral change at the individual level by helping individuals to achieve the desired change. Li et al. (2012) explain that this theory operates under the assumption that change in behavior is a gradual process that should be modelled to help individuals achieve a positive intentional change. For instance, this model begins with the pre-contemplation state people are unaware of their behaviors to the contemplation state where people start accepting the need for behavioral change. In addition, this model helps people to prepare an action plan and maintain the behavioral change acquired during the action plan.

Segmenting and Targeting

Ideally, this social marketing plan targets high school students because they are the highest risk of suffering from cyberbullying according to statistics provided by the National Bullying Prevention Center (2019). Individuals in this age have the highest level of social media consumption and they are at a critical developmental age that requires emotional support. Therefore, improving the level of preventive and corrective measures to address bullying for this target audience will enhance their quality of life in the long-term.

4Ps, People, Partnerships

This social media marketing plan offers a chance to promote the ethical use of social media platforms to reduce the current trends of cyberbullying. In order to engage in ethical social media practice, individuals will have to learn how to relieve negative emotions, such as online aggression and lack of courtesy, by engaging in regular behavioral improvements. Students can access this offer on different social media platforms where they can develop a 2 months action plan where they will gradually reduce their level of aggression towards other social media users and maintain this behaviour, as depicted in the TTM theory. Moreover, this plan will be promoted by schools and government agencies with the aim of improving students per relationships. Besides, partnerships with other non-governmental organizations, such as the National Bullying Prevention Center, will also help in mobilizing resources towards achieving this cause.

Implementation and Evaluation

This plan will be implemented by an educational program targeting high school facilities that will promote awareness on the adverse effects of unethical use of social media platforms. This program will target students from the age of 10 to 16 years. Moreover, statistics on the performance of the plan will be conducted by the National Bullying Prevention Center because it had adequate resources to measure the impact of this plan.

References

Donegan, R. 2012. "Bullying and cyberbullying: History, statistics, law, prevention, and analysis." The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, Vol 3, No. 1.pp. 33-40.

Espelage, D., Sung, H. J., AND Valido, D. A. 2018. "Cyberbullying in the United States." International Perspectives on Cyberbullying, pp. 65-99.

Holfeld, B. and Grabe, M., 2012. An examination of the history, prevalence, characteristics, and reporting of cyberbullying in the United States. Cyberbullying in the global playground: Research from international perspectives, pp.117-142.

Li, Q. 2010. Cyberbullying in high schools: A study of student's behaviours and beliefs about this new phenomenon. Routledge. Retrieved from www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10926771003788979

Li, Q., Cross, D. and Smith, P.K., 2012. Cyberbullying in the global playground. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

National Bullying Prevention Center (2019). "Bullying Statistics." Pacer Organization, Retrieved from www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/stats.asp

Selkie, E. Fales, J., and Moreno, M. 2016. "Cyberbullying prevalence among United States middle and high school aged adolescents: A systematic review and quality assessment." National Institute of Health, 58 (2): 125-133.