Introduction
The contemporary society provides an advanced technological platform not only for adults but also for children. Though this can be considered as a huge improvement of human kind, it does have negative consequences too. This study is woven around a critical issue in the modern world: cyber bullying through online gaming. Bullying is considered to be a growing concern among children and adolescents throughout the past. But now youth has found an easy and efficient way to conduct bullying through technology since they have no fear of punishments. Therefore the rate of victims has been rapidly increased. As this is a new facet, researches on cyber bullying in online gaming is relatively new. However Cyber bullying has acquired attention in various media reports, including a video address by President Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama denouncing cyber bullying, posted on Facebook. In this study, it is focused on how online games cause cyber bullying and the legal sanctions and penalties which should be established.
What is cyber bullying?
Cyber bullying has progressively gained consideration both from media and research groups. An increasing number of individuals have started to understand the negative effect of cyber bullying and along these lines they are looking for prevention strategies. A reasonable, proper and precise meaning of cyber bullying is “sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices”. However to date, numerous definitions exist. For example, cyber bullying can be briefly defined as an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself.
Many consider cyber bullying to be an extraordinary sort of harassing. Consistently a few specialists determined their meaning of cyber bullying from exemplary meaning of harassing. For instance, delineated cyber bullying described as “resolute and rehashed hurt delivered using email, mobile phone, texting, and defamatory Web destinations”. While repetitions viewed as a specific characteristic for harassing, analysts progressively question this issue. Espelage depicted a few lawful cases in which harassing casualties submitted suicide, yet school staff did not take activities in light of the fact that the asserted tormenting practices were not repeated. In this way she challenges such definitions. Different researchers brought up comparative issues concerning whether repetitiveness ought to be the fundamental qualities of cyber bullying. One such solid contention is that cyber bullying practices can be over and over experienced regardless of the possibility that it is one occasion in light of the fact that electronic materials can be effectively safeguarded, rapidly and generally dispersed, and as often as possible shared.
Online gaming
Gaming industry has developed enormously not only in European countries but also in countries like Sri Lanka. A recent report proposed that 70% of youngsters play PC games consistently, with 68% of kids playing on their phones. In 2006, a US national investigation discovered 85% of youngsters play computer games at home or school, with half of guys revealing they play each and every day. The Pew study directed in 2009, expressed that 97% of the US teenagers (12-17 years of age) play computerized games with rich gaming experiences.
There are many sorts of games exist. Generally, those games can be arranged into eight unique classifications. The most prominent games are action games (i.e., shooting) and adventure games. Action games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops II has sold over ten million copies since November 2012 .Other game types include fighting games, puzzle games, sports games, strategy games, and role-playing games. Role-playing games incorporate different settings where the human player expects the part of the game character.
Online gaming and cyber bullying
There are numerous ways where individuals can play with others online. There are websites committed to gaming while web-based social networking coordinates games directly into the sites and furthermore many of the gaming consoles, including Play station, Xbox 360 and Wii U, have alternatives to join with others through an Internet connection. This opens new doors for individuals to bully others.
Regardless of whether bullying can take place in a game depends enormously upon the features that are accessible in the games. For example, if your child plays a game that allows only interactions but not to chat, the chances of cyber bullying are much less than if your child participates in a game where chatting, private messages and other similar features are available. At the point when your kid can communicate with other youngsters, the dangers of tormenting conduct increments enormously. This is the reason it is so vital to educate your kids how to connect with others on the web and urge them to report any negative conduct they witness, regardless of whether it transpires or they witness it to another person.
Griefers” is the term given to the individuals who make use of web based games as an approach to target kids and even grown-ups while they are partaking in internet gaming. These players will deliberately search out different gamers and target them in the game. Not exclusively will they assault these players as a feature of the game, they will likewise take part in forceful conduct outside the parameters of the game, including sending, threatening or harassing messages. Some of these griefers will utilize the reason of essentially “playing the game,” while truly using the game as an approach to cyber bully other players. The objective of these griefers is to influence the gaming to encounter trouble for other gamers, demolishing the hard work they have put into the game.
Cyber bullying can be occurred in many ways.
- Harassing Messages
A vital issue with online gaming is the feature of chatting with different people on the web. Exactly when utilizing this component precisely, this is a mind boggling way to deal with different people with different social orders and value playing with people from better places far and wide. Unfortunately, there are individuals who don’t use these features effectively. This prompts an issue with cyber bullying. Some individual accept it is okay to send bugging messages to others, paying little heed to whether under the falsification of playing the game or in light of the way that they are secretive and feel more secure doing accordingly. These annoying messages can have much an unclear effect for individuals with less potentiality.
- Stealing Passwords
While not as broadly known, some online domineers can take a youngster’s gaming password and hack into their account and cause issues for the owner. The hacker can send threatening messages to individuals on account owner’s friends list, practically disconnecting the owner of the account from alternate players with whom they have been playing. Moreover, the hacker can keep the owner out of his account by changing the password and different subtle elements, driving the victim out of his game inside and out.
- Verbal Abuse and Bullying in Online Games
Harassing messages aren’t the only way cyber bullies can have an impact on other children. Some online gamers simply use offensive language, including unacceptable slurs, swearing and degrading terms to belittle other players during game play. Many gaming sites take steps to filter out these types of verbal abuse, but not all websites have these safeguards in place, especially when the game isn’t intended for children to play. This type of language can quickly lead to bullying behavior.
- Viruses
Viruses are a genuine hazard with regards to playing games on the web. Since chat boxes are common in these circumstances, bullies and other individuals who are hoping to cause inconvenience online can post links and incorporate codes that can prompt an infection on other users PCs. While some of these links and codes are posted where anybody can click on them, some online bullies will focus on a particular player in the game and send this data secretly trying to disable or harm that individual’s PC. This is the reason why it is so critical for individuals to figure out how to use caution when working online.
Moreover the different sorts of cyber bullying to incorporate cyber stalking, masquerading, sexual harassment and coercion , threatening others, impersonation, exclusion of others, and trolling categorized those who unintentionally hurt others via practical jokes as cyber mischief-makers, those who take part in deviant, hazardous conduct via posting dangers or mystery pictures as cyber bullies, and those who hack into different PCs and spread pictures and messages as cyber lords. While the technology keeps on developing, individuals often find better approaches to use and misuse those tools. Subsequently, it is likely that cyber bullies will discover new tactics to abuse others.
Statistics in relation to cyber bullying and gaming
Tippet led a study with 193 Korean youngsters to test the validity of a questionnaire. The outcomes revealed were that online games turned into a fore standing territory where those children were experiencing bullying and harassment, which incorporate three aspects: cyber exploitation, cyber bullying, and perception of cyber bullying by bystanders. At the point when cyber exploitation was considered, around 43% of the members had experienced this in the last two months. Of those, about half were harassed just on more than one occasion over the earlier months, however 30% had experienced all the time, in any event once per week. As for cyber bullies, around 33% of the member’s cyber bullied others in games in the last two months and nearly half of them tormented others no less than a few times each month or more. For bystanders, each two out of five children having seen it happen inside the past two months. Of these, 17% said it had just occurred here and there, while 12% saw online game harassing happen a few times each week
They examined distinctive types of bullying (direct, indirect, mobile, internet, and online games), finding that outrage was the most widely recognized inclination detailed by the victim in all forms aside from online game bullying. ‘Aggressive language’, for example, swearing or insult (detailed by 64%), was the most continuous experience of victims of online game bullying, followed by ‘verbally abusing’ (44%), violence against one’s avatar (16%), threats (12%), rumors (4%), and social prohibition (2%). Strangely, about half of the victims of online game bullying detailed sentiments of not being concerned. Moreover, young men, compared with young ladies, were more likely to be online game harassers, victims and revealed that they are more familiar with online game bullying.
To date, the few research studies exploring cyber bullying and gaming show inconsistent, sometimes even conflicting results. This suggests that research can only begin to demonstrate the complexity in cyber bullying and gaming. Yet, it pinpoints that online gaming seems to become a prominent area for people to cyber bully others. Many factors, like gender, contribute to the complex phenomenon related to cyber bullying and gaming.
However blue whale game can be considered as a recent issue in relation to online gaming and cyber harassments. Several suicides were reported all over the world and even Sri Lanka’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) warned guardians to be careful about their kids in using electronic devices in relation to the Blue Whale Suicide game had killed a few kids far and wide.
An authority joined to CERT revealed to NewsIn.Asia that CERT has been checking every one of the media reports which had been distributed lately on the Blue Whale suicide challenge, and encouraged guardians in Sri Lanka to screen their youngsters’ usage of online gaming.
“While investigators around the world have not been able to link any suicides directly to the game, we urge the children and parents to stay away from dangerous groups on the internet. Each one must know what is good and bad and what is bad should be avoided,” the official said.
Psychological impact
“Emotional abuse can be defined as causing trauma to a victim by acts, threats of acts or coercive tactics, all to intimidate, inspire fear in and manipulate the victim. It is any behavior performed with the intent to control another person without resorting to the more obvious form of abuse which is physical abuse. Emotional Abuse is the most widespread and prevalent type of abuse as it is the least obvious one and is quite hard to detect or prove as it leaves no visible or noticeable scars or injuries.”It has been well established that cyber bullying triggers social problems and impacts victims negatively psychologically and emotionally Cyber bullying may even more profoundly negatively impact its victims than traditional bullying because the details of such bullying behavior are publicly visible to a large audience for extended periods of time, allowing the victim to be re-victimized over and over. Therefore, it is important for research to be conducted to offer a better understanding of why it happens and develop strategies to mitigate. “While theories vary as to the cause of cyber bullying, it has been found that victimization not only has long-term negative psychological effects but it can cause victims to become cyber bullies themselves.” Some research has found that young bullying victims are more than three times as likely to become a bully as individuals that have never been bullied themselves.
Laws related to cyber bullying
Since cyber bullying has turned out to be such a harming and fatal issue, legislators have made cyber bullying laws to help and shield victims from online bullies and bring justice to victims.
There are a few states, nations, and regions over the globe that has actualized solid and apparently viable cyber bullying laws. Although a few areas are set up to get serious about cyber harassment, others are as yet getting up to speed with the circumstances. Few examples are depicted as follows.
The strongest cyber bullying laws in the world:
- -United Kingdom under the Malicious Communications Act, cyber bullying could result in six months or more in prison and a heavy fine.
- Tennessee- under S.B.113, a student engaged in cyber bullying and online threats is punished with a misdemeanor, with up to a year imprisonment. The cyber bully also faces a $2,500 fine.”
Areas with medium-level cyber bullying laws:
- Philippines- under Republic Act 10627, it is up to the schools to actualize strategies to address cyber bullying. In the event that school heads don’t agree to the Republic Demonstration, they confront sanctions.
- Australia- under the Federal Nature of Law of Law, cyber bullying laws fluctuates from an area to an area. The laws in every region take three structures: Actions by state, lawsuit by the victim, and “Well-spoken of Industry Codes.”
On most records, our country Sri Lanka has adequately managed cyber related laws. The Telecommunications Act (No. 25 of 1991) manages media communications and regulation of service providers. The Electronic Transactions Act (No. 19 of 2006) manages E-trade and transactions. The Payment and Settlement Systems Act (No. 28 of 2005) manages electronic banking and mobile payments. The Computer Crimes Act (No. 24 of 2007) manages digital security and exploitative hacking. The Telecommunication Levy Act (No. 21 of 2011) among different laws manages collection of tax and IT administrations. While most laws related the cyber universe seem to address the issues of data security and protected innovation, which are generally issues looked by expansive organizations, few laws address the issues faced by people. At the end of the day, there are just a couple of laws that deliver wrongdoings identified with cyber harassments. Moreover, it is for the most part opined that customary violations in the Penal Code are pertinent with regards to PC related wrongdoings as well. In this manner, if a man made dangers by means of Facebook Messenger or What Sapp, the wrongdoing is noteworthy through Section 483 of the Penal Code on criminal intimidation. In the event that the culprit hacks another device, he or she will be arraigned as per the Computer Crimes Act. In the event that the culprit got to the data from the victim’s device specifically, he/she could be indicted as per the laws of theft and trespassing.
Insufficiency of Cyber Bullying Laws
The law neglects to manage different violations, for example, extortion and piracy. It is genuinely simple to use IT abilities to pick up cash by taking other individuals’ hard work. Obviously, there are general violations in the Penal Code which likewise stretch out to cyber related wrongdoings, yet a quicker and more viable technique is required to manage such activities
The digital world is getting progressively refined and sophisticated, and each of the violations conferred through PCs may not really fit the criteria conveyed in the Penal Code. This makes a significantly greater challenge for individuals, as the culprit of wrongdoings isn’t generally a criminal as indicated by the law. Proving that a wrongdoing fits the criteria set out in the law is a laborious errand, and regularly the cybercriminal get away from the law.
Conclusion
Building and maintaining a sheltered and strong condition, in both genuine and virtual world, are factors that can be used so as to lessen cyber bullying/harassing. Students need a positive climate that goes beyond school boundaries. Earlier studies found that extracurricular activities, such as sport and recreation, can lead youth to report cyber bullying incidents as well as decreasing their chance to retaliate others when they are cyber bullied. Gaming is such an awesome media for amusement and excitement henceforth gives an incredible approach to build school connectedness and interpersonal organizations for youth and grown-ups. One conceivable system, as our model inferred, is to make recreations that include understudies and their educators, guardians, relatives, or even executives to help, fabricate a strong social condition in schools and gaming worlds. Joint effort among schools, families, and groups is a must to successfully address cyber bullying/harassing issues. Through this study, it is crystal clear that, cyber bullying in online gaming can extremely affect the victim and their friends and family. Victims can wind up plainly pulled back, restless, discouraged, and could conceivably fall back on suicide so as to end the enthusiastic torment. Cyber harassment leaves casualties defenseless, all through school. Furthermore, it should be clearly noted that there is a requirement for solid cyber bullying law enactment within the territory of Sri Lanka since the younger generation is more likely to addict online gaming. There is a critical prerequisite for enactment on this issue, and paying little mind to whether enactment is adequate, the issue must be first managed by the law, and from that point implementation components can be additionally reinforced.
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