The Cyberbully Strikes Again

Cyberbullying seems to know no boundaries. Stories of cyberbullies tend to focus on students; however, recently cyberbullying has reared its ugly head in one of the most unexpected places—the NFL. 

Jonathan Martin of the Miami Dolphins recently opted to quit the team mid-season. What caused Martin--a 24-year-old, six-foot-five, 312-pound offensive lineman--to walk away from a prestigious well-paying position? The answer is bullying.

During Martin’s 18 months with the Dolphins, he claims that he was bullied and harassed by fellow teammate Richie Incognito. Martin alleges that Incognito regularly sent disturbing texts and voicemail messages to Martin containing racial slurs, threats of physical violence, and even death threats. Incognito and other veteran players on the Dolphins allegedly pressured younger players, such as Martin, into paying for expensive meals, binges at strip clubs, and extravagant trips—a system they referred to as a “virgin tax.” A team culture emerged where older players were able to intimidate, control, and extort younger players. Younger players simply endured the harassment. After all, once they paid the virgin tax, they could subject younger players to the same treatment. 

Like Martin, many college students experience similar forms of harassment from bullies both on campus and online. Recently a study conducted by researchers at Indiana State University found that 15 percent of the college students surveyed were bullied and 22 percent reported being cyberbullied. The prevalence of bullying occurring online has caused colleges and universities to focus greater attention to online civility.

Bullying involves the intentional systematic pattern of intimidation and harassment by one person designed to humiliate, frighten, or isolate another. Cyberbullies leverages electronic communication, such as texts, instant messages, and social media, to harass targets. The psychological impact of cyberbullying can be overwhelming. People who are subjected to cyberbullying may suffer from depression, decreased self-worth, hopelessness, and loneliness, which are often precursors to suicidal ideations.

Colleges and universities can play an important role in combating bullying both on campus and online. Anti-bullying and harassment policies are a good start. They establish a baseline standard that bullying is not an acceptable behavior on campus.

Another strategy used by institutions of higher education is social norming campaigns. These campaigns involve a campus-wide promotion and advancement of shared community values—values such as mutual dignity and respect for diverse people. These shared community values are then reinforced and infused in campus literature, orientations, and curriculum. Social norming programs look to establish a welcoming campus culture that encourages students to embrace common community values rather than simply regulate conduct.

Students may not appreciate the harmful effect cyberbullying has on other people. Incognito probably did not take his texts and voicemail messages seriously. Perhaps he thought it was all just a joke. Bullying, however, is no joking matter. Students must understand that bullying can be devastating to a target, even targets who are NFL players. 

Kent M. Weeks