What Is Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the act of using technology, such as the internet or social media, to harass, intimidate, or humiliate someone. It can take various forms, including sending hurtful messages or comments, spreading rumours, or sharing embarrassing photos or videos.
Cyberbullying can have a devastating impact on the victim’s mental and emotional well-being, leading to depression, anxiety, and even suicide in severe cases. It is essential to recognize the signs of cyberbullying and take steps to prevent it from happening to you or someone you know.
Cyberbullying Strategies
We will be sharing with you some of the discovered ways used by cyberbullies, they include:
1. Social Exclusion
Social exclusion is a form of cyberbullying that may seem less severe than other types, but it can still have serious consequences. It can be compared to excluding someone from a group they should naturally belong to, which can cause significant distress.
For example, if the rest of the class does not accept a particular classmate on a social media platform, this could be considered a form of social exclusion.
Tip:
Instead of relying on virtual relationships for social connection, it is important to prioritize building real-life relationships.
If you or your child is experiencing social exclusion online, it may be a sign of deeper real-life issues. Talking to parents, teachers, or counsellors can help address these issues.
Additionally, joining groups or communities based on your interests, hobbies or activities, whether online or in real life, can be beneficial.
2. Tagging Without Permission
Tagging is a way of attaching a person’s name to an online image so that their name appears on the image or so that images of a particular person can be identified by searching for tagged images using their name.
Tip
Restrict and monitor the pictures you upload or that others upload of you by modifying the privacy settings of your social media platform. Prevent others from viewing any information about you by blocking them.
If you discover that a picture of you has been posted on a website without your consent, contact the administrator and request that it be removed.
In case the image is explicit, you may choose to report it to the authorities, but be aware that some teenagers have been accused of being involved in the posting of sexual images of themselves online.
3. Flaming
Flaming refers to the act of making negative comments about someone online, which can take different forms, such as revealing someone’s sexual orientation without their consent, excessively criticizing someone’s personality traits by exaggerating their flaws or spreading false information to harm their reputation or image.
Tip:
Even though the victim of abuse is never responsible for what happened to them, there are certain measures they can take to lower the chances of being targeted online.
These include behaving properly, refraining from making comments that could provoke negative reactions, and treating themselves and others with respect.
By doing so, any negative comments against them will lack credibility and be easier to dismiss.
If someone becomes a victim of flaming, they should report the abuse to the website owner, as many webmasters are now aware of the problem of online abuse and have moderators who can take down offensive content.
4. Sext Re-Posting
Sexting can be dangerous, particularly when it comes to sending pictures of oneself to a partner, as it can be easy to overlook the potential consequences of the act.
This can be especially problematic for younger internet users, particularly teenage girls, who may be coerced by predators, paedophiles, and pornographers into sharing images of themselves or engaging in cybersex.
This type of behaviour is considered a form of internet abuse, known as coercion. It’s important to note that you should not feel responsible for the situation if your images are made public.
If someone posts your images without your consent, you can request they take them down. If they refuse, you should report the situation to the website. If the images continue to be posted, and the person is also harassing you in other ways, it may be necessary to report the situation to the police.
5. Impersonation And Identity Theft
Impersonation is pretending to be someone else and can range from obvious mockery to borrowing or stealing someone’s identity—such as their name, image, or identifying information—to carry out actions attributed to the victim.
Tip:
In case of minor impersonations, such as an individual posting a frivolous comment on the internet using your identity, you can simply respond by leaving a comment underneath, clarifying that you did not make that post.
However, suppose the impersonation is more severe, like comments expressing contentious opinions you do not support. In that case, it is best to contact the website administrator and request that the content be removed.
In the event that someone uses your personal information to steal or commit any other illegal activity, you can either approach the person directly to resolve the issue or report it to the authorities.