Bullying is a serious problem for students, but not all adults see cyberbullying as an issue. For certain children, the online bullying is worse than if it happened in person. This is because some bullies will use harsher methods virtually than what they would if they were in person.
Cyberbullying can lead to traumatic experiences for the children who are victimized by it. In some cases, they won’t know who the bully is so they might not say anything about what’s going on. This makes it much more difficult to figure out who’s behind it and how to stop it.
What does cyberbullying mean?
Cyberbullying occurs via electronic methods. This can include a variety of actions, but the purpose is to intimidate or torture the victim. The bully will usually try to find out what is going to have the most impact on the victim and use that to their advantage.
It is possible to be bullied through social media, text messages, phone calls, emails and any other form of communication. You don’t have to be directly contacted to be bullied. You can suffer from bullying without ever speaking to the perpetrators.
How are some people cyberbullied?
There are various forms of cyberbullying. Posting things online that are harmful to others, such as rumors or embarrassing comments, is one form that is common. Telling people to die by suicide or telling someone you’ll harm them or to harm themselves is another. Sharing intimate photos of another person and making fun of someone who is economically challenged also falls under the bullying category.
Catfishing, or pretending to be someone they aren’t, is another form if they’re doing this in order to find out personal information or to post false information about someone. Doxing, which involves destroying privacy by making a person’s personal information public, is another form. In some cases, the information shared may include phone number, social media profile links, credit card numbers and addresses.
What can you do about cyberbullying?
There aren’t any easy ways to stop a cyberbully. The anonymity of the internet makes it so easy for people to hide their true identity. Working with someone who is familiar with cyberbullying might be beneficial because it enables you to learn the options that you have for finding out who’s behind the bullying and to make it stop.
