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Cape Town - A heart-breaking video intended to illustrate the dangers of cyber bullying has received a welcome reception online.
The video is modelled on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show segment where celebrities read negative tweets about themselves.
The clip, produced by the Canadian Safe Schools Network, shows children reading negative tweets about themselves on social media.
While the video clip is staged, some tweets are downright disturbing.
"Guys, Eric isn't gay. He just prefers the company of men... in his mouth," reads one.
Another reads: "Holly has a face that only diabetes could love."
Aggressive youth
The video which has more than two million views highlights the extent that young people face harassment from bullies not only on the playground, but also at home.
Digital tools allow bullies to follow their victims wherever they go and with sensitive individuals or children already under additional stress, the results may be tragic.
Few studies have been done in SA to clearly examine the phenomenon of cyber bullying, but anecdotal evidence indicates that young people in particular are exposed to cyber bullying.
As smartphones get into the hands of more people, it is likely that incidents of cyber bullying will increase. (Duncan Alfreds, Fin24)
A survey by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention in 2012 found high levels of aggression among youth in SA and the line between victim and perpetrator is indistinct.
"An important finding in the CJCP study is that the line between perpetrators and victims of cyber bullying is most often blurred; seven out of 10 (69.7%) perpetrators of cyber bullying had themselves been bullied," the study says.
South African youth are also aggressive, authors Maša Popovac and Lezanne Leoschut wrote. And cyber bullying may reflect real-world bullying patterns.
"The statistics also demonstrate the high incidence of cyber aggression among South Africa's youth. Over a third (37%) of young people surveyed in the CJCP study admitted to having experienced some form of cyber aggression either at home or at school."
Danger
In developed countries such as the US, an Associated Press-MTV poll of youth in their teens and early 20s found that 56% have been the target of some type of online taunting, harassment or bullying.
The final tweet illustrates the natural conclusion of how cyber bullying can lead to harm. It reads: "No-one likes you. Do everyone a favour. Just kill yourself."
Watch the video here:
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