Cyberbullying has become an unfortunate reality of the digital age, especially among younger demographics. One area where cyberbullying occurs that often goes underreported is in online essay writing and writing forums. This type of cyberbullying, which we’ll refer to as “essay writing cyberbullying”, can seriously damage the confidence and mental wellbeing of student writers.
Essay writing forums were originally created as collaborative spaces where students could get feedback on their work and help each other improve. As with many online spaces, some users have turned to bullying, harassment, and unconstructive criticism. Targets of essay writing cyberbullying can experience intense feelings of shame, embarrassment, and anxiety – all of which can negatively impact their writing and academic performance.
Types of Essay Writing Cyberbullying
There are a few common types of cyberbullying that tend to occur in online essay writing forums and communities:
Personal Attacks – Rather than focusing critique on the writing itself, some users resort to personally attacking and insulting the writer. This can include name-calling, threats, and sharing private information without consent.
Unconstructive Criticism – While criticism is meant to help writers improve, unconstructive criticism tears down without offering solutions. It focuses solely on flaws without acknowledging strengths. This type of “feedback” leaves the writer feeling hopeless rather than empowered.
Plagiarism Accusations – Some users make false claims that a writer has plagiarized their work as a way to discredit and humiliate them. Even if unfounded, a plagiarism accusation can seriously jeopardize a student’s academic integrity and standing.
Gaslighting – A sinister form of cyberbullying involves gaslighting the writer into doubting their abilities or the validity of their own experiences. The bully distorts facts to make the writer feel as if they are being irrational or exaggerating harassment.
Group Attacks – When multiple users gang up on a single writer, piling on insults and criticism, it can trigger an online pile-on effect and intense feelings of being ganged up on.
Doxxing and Stalking – In rare but unacceptable cases, a bully may publish a writer’s private contact details, photos, or personal information without consent in an attempt to dox or stalk them online/offline.
Effects of Essay Writing Cyberbullying
Being targeted in online essay writing forums and communities can induce intense feelings of shame, embarrassment, anxiety and depression in victims:
Lowered Self-Esteem/Confidence – Constantly being disparaged and insulted will erode anyone’s confidence in their writing abilities over time.
Performance Anxiety – The fear of being ridiculed prevents some victims from further engaging in or getting help with essay writing for fear of additional harassment.
Clinical Issues – In extreme cases, prolonged cyberbullying has been linked to increased risks of depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and failure/withdrawal from school.
Trust Issues – Victims may become hesitant to ask for help from peers or share their writing in collaborative online spaces in the future due to broken trust.
Self-Censorship – Rather than risk criticism, some writers stop pushing creative boundaries and censor themselves to appease potential online bullies.
Lasting Trauma – Even after the bullying stops, victims report struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem and trauma related to negative past online experiences.
Preventing and Addressing Essay Writing Cyberbullying
To curb this harmful behavior in online writing communities, measures must be taken by both community moderators and members:
Moderators should:
Closely monitor forums for any personal attacks, insults or rule violations.
Have a clearly outlined code of conduct that prohibits uncivil behavior.
Allow anonymous or pseudonymous users only with additional verification.
Quickly remove toxic content and ban repeat offenders.
Create a safe space for targets to report issues without fear of retaliation.
Members should:
Lead by example and only offer constructive criticism focused on content, not character.
Avoid unsolicited critiques and let writers opt-in to feedback.
Support and encourage others with positivity instead of tearing them down.
Report any witnessed harassment anonymously to protect victims.
Students can help minimize risks by:
Using caution if sharing personally identifiable details online.
Vetting communities/members before extensively participating.
Saving drafts locally in case of vandalism or deleted accounts.
Having a trusted friend review forums for support if targeted.
With vigilance and a commitment to civil discourse, online writing forums do not need to become breeding grounds for this harmful behavior. With agreed upon standards of conduct and support for victims, essay writing communities can get back to their intended purpose of fostering learning through constructive feedback.