Cyberbullying (sometimes referred to as online bullying) is a form of digital violence where individuals intentionally torment, threaten, harass, humiliate, or target others using digital means. This behavior can take place across various online platforms like social networks, messaging apps, gaming platforms, and cell phones. It is a purposeful pattern of conduct aimed at intimidating, enraging, or shaming the victim.
Types of Cyberbullying:
Basically, cyberbullying may be in the form of verbal abuse, spreading rumours or lies, harassment, humiliating or embarrassing someone intentionally and threatening someone.
- Trolling: Deliberately posting comments or content online to provoke or upset others, which becomes cyberbullying if the intent is to cause harm.
- Outing: Sharing private information about someone without their consent, such as revealing their gender or sexual identity online.
- Cancelling: Boycotting, ostracizing, or shunning someone on social media for perceived unacceptable behavior, which can turn into cyberbullying if used to exclude or isolate others.
- Doxing: Sharing someone’s personal information, like their real name or address, online without permission.
- Excluding: Intentionally leaving someone out, including uninviting them from online groups, conversations, or events.
- Flaming: Sending direct insults to upset someone online.
- Fraping: Using someone else’s account to post inappropriate content.
- Masquerading: Creating a fake account solely for the purpose of cyberbullying someone.
- Dissing: Spreading damaging information in public posts or direct messages to tarnish someone’s reputation or relationships.
- Sextortion: Coercing someone into sending sexual images and threatening to share them unless demands are met.
- Revenge porn: Distributing sexually explicit images or videos of individuals without their consent.
Tips To Prevent Cyberbullying
In today’s digital era, cyberbullying has become a pressing concern, particularly among young individuals, leading to emotional distress and adversely impacting mental well-being. To address and prevent cyberbullying, several proactive steps can be taken:
- Educate Yourself: Understanding the manifestations of cyberbullying, from spreading rumors to sending threats, is crucial in combating it effectively.
- Keep Personal Information Private: Limit the sharing of personal details online to reduce potential ammunition for cyberbullies, such as full names, addresses, phone numbers, and sensitive images.
- Utilize Privacy Settings: Make use of privacy controls on social media platforms to manage who can view your posts or contact you. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these settings can enhance online security. Also keep webcams covered when not in use.
- Choose Kindness: Promote positivity on social media by sharing supportive content and engaging in uplifting interactions with others. Respond to negativity with empathy or simply avoid engaging with cyberbullies.
- Think Before You Post: Be mindful that digital content can have lasting consequences, even if deleted. Practice caution when sharing information online to prevent it from being misused or shared without consent.
- Maintain Boundaries: Protect yourself from online bullying by setting clear boundaries around your personal information and interactions. Limit access to your online and offline life to trusted individuals, reducing vulnerability to unkind comments and behavior.
What To Do If You Are Being Bullied Online
1. Stay Calm And Do Not Respond It’s natural to want to defend yourself when faced with unkind remarks, but responding can often escalate the situation. Avoid retaliating or seeking revenge as it may worsen the issue. Refraining from engaging with the initial provocation can help prevent further attacks.
2. Trust in Yourself Believing in your own self-worth is a powerful defense against negative opinions. Recognize that you know yourself best and that hurtful words do not define who you are. While it may be challenging, trusting in your own identity can shield you from the impact of others’ criticism.
3. Record Evidences of Bullying Keep a detailed record of any instances of cyberbullying, including messages, posts, or screenshots. This documentation may be valuable if you decide to report the bullying to authorities, parents, or your school.
4. Block and Report Offenders The most effective response to cyberbullying is to block the perpetrator and report their behavior on the platform on which you are being bullied. Most applications or social media platforms have the “Block and Report” feature to help you in situations like this. Prevent further harassment by excluding them from your online interactions. While reporting may seem uncomfortable, it is essential to address the issue and protect yourself and others from similar harm.
5. Take Action Against Bullying If you witness someone being bullied online, speak up and report the behavior to a trusted adult or the platform where it is occurring. Standing up against cyberbullying can help create a safer online environment for everyone.
6. Foster Understanding Attempting to empathize with the bully, though challenging, can provide valuable insight and detachment from their hurtful actions. Recognize that most bullies are struggling with their own issues and may lash out in anger. By understanding their motivations, you can depersonalize the situation and alleviate some of the emotional impact.
7. Seek Support Don’t suffer in silence. Reach out to someone you trust, such as a teacher, parent, or another adult, to discuss the cyberbullying you’re experiencing. Opening up about your situation not only documents the incidents but also helps alleviate the emotional burden. Trusted individuals can provide support and guidance, potentially leading to mediation or resolution of the issue.
Read Also: Social Media As A Tool for Personal Development
If you believe you have bullied someone before, it’s important to take responsibility for your actions. We all make mistakes, whether in real life or online. Recognizing and admitting to your mistakes is a powerful step. Here are some steps to take if you think you may have cyberbullied someone:
1. Remove the harmful or mean content, such as comments, images, videos, or fake accounts. If others are sharing it, ask them to stop.
2. Apologize to the person or people who were hurt by your actions. Taking ownership of your behavior demonstrates strength and personal growth.
Cyberbullying can have serious effects on mental health, leading to increased stress, anxiety, depression, violent behavior, and low self-esteem. The emotional impact of cyberbullying can be long-lasting even after the bullying stops. Victims of cyberbullying may experience a range of negative emotions like sadness, anger, frustration, and humiliation. They may feel isolated and without support. Academic performance can suffer as victims may be too ashamed to attend school or participate in class. In extreme cases, victims may even contemplate suicide. It’s crucial to recognize the harm caused by cyberbullying and take steps to prevent and address it.
REFERENCES
[1] HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CYBERBULLYING? – UNDP
https://www.undp.org/kazakhstan/how-protect-yourself-cyberbullying
[2] A guide to help young people protect themselves from Cyberbullying – GRAHAM GLOBAL
https://www.graffhamglobal.com/blog/cyberbullying
[3] Cyberbullying – KIDS HELPLINE
https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/cyberbullying
[4] 7 ways to protect yourself from bullies online – HAPPIFUL
