Cyberbullying

To constitute cyberbullying, the perpetrator uses technology such as computers, consoles, cell phones, and/or any other device with access to the internet or social media to harass, stalk, or abuse another person by instigating or participating in online hate campaigns.

Although most media coverage indicates that cyberbullying is a problem exclusive to social media, it is also very problematic within the online gaming community.

Victims of cyberbullying often don't know who is behind the accounts that are abusing them.

Sometimes the victim can suspect who the bullies are but is unable to prove it because trolling and bullying accounts often make use of everybody's important right to anonymity. Other times, complete strangers become aware of cyberbullying taking place and fall into a'mob mentality' by contributing to and amplifying the bullying rather than helping the victim.

Cyberbullying is not exclusive to any specific demographic; everybody is now at risk of being a cyberbullying victim in some way.

Harassment: When someone is being harassed online, they are being subjected to a string of abusive messages or efforts to contact them by one person or a group of people. People can be harassed through social media as well as through their mobile phones (texting and calling) and email. Most of the contact the victim will receive will be of a malicious or threatening nature.

Doxing: Doxing is when an individual or group of people distribute another person's personal information, such as their home address, cell phone number, or place of work, onto social media or public forums without that person's permission to do so. Doxing can cause the victim to feel extremely anxious, and it can affect their mental health.

Cyberstalking: Similar to harassment, cyberstalking involves the perpetrator making persistent efforts to gain contact with the victim; however, this differs from harassment; more commonly than not, people will cyberstalk another person due to deep feelings toward that person, whether they are positive or negative. Someone who is cyberstalking is more likely to escalate their stalking into the offline world.

Revenge porn: This is when sexually explicit or compromising images of a person have been distributed onto social media or shared on revenge porn-specific websites without their permission to do so. Normally, images of this nature are posted by an ex-partner, who does it with the purpose of causing humiliation and damage to their reputation.

Swatting: Swatting is when someone calls emergency responders with claims of dangerous events taking place at an address. People swat others with the intention of causing panic and fear when armed response units arrive at their home or place of work. Swatting is more prevalent within the online gaming community.

Corporate attacks: In the corporate world, attacks can be used to send masses of information to a website in order to take the website down and make it non-functional. Corporate attacks can affect public confidence, damage business reputations, and, in some instances, force them to collapse.

Account hacking: Cyberbullies can hack into a victim's social media accounts and post abusive or damaging messages. This can be particularly damaging for brands and public figures.

False profiles: Fake social media accounts can be set up with the intention of damaging a person's or brand's reputation. This can easily be done by obtaining publicly available images of the victim and making the account appear as authentic as possible.

Slut shaming: Slut shaming is when someone is called out and labeled as a "slut" for something that they have done previously or even just how they dress. This kind of cyberbullying often occurs when someone has been sexting another person and their images or conversations become public. It is seen more commonly among young people and teenagers, but anyone can fall victim to being slut-shamed.

There are many different forms of cyberbullying, and as technology evolves and becomes more social, it is important to remain aware of the risks when interacting with others online.

They've been cyberbullied: Someone may choose to cyberbully another person because they have been through cyberbullying themselves. They might feel like it's okay to treat people that way or find that it is the only way to express their own pain.

To fit in: If someone sees another person being cyberbullied by a group of people, they may feel that by participating, they will 'fit in' or develop a new group of friends themselves.

Home life: The perpetrator may be having a difficult home life and misplacing their anger and frustration on someone else. Most of the time, this will happen when the cyberbully doesn't have anyone to talk to about what they are going through.

Power: Someone may choose to cyberbully in order to feel powerful and have the ability to control a situation.

Jealously: Jealously is one of the most common reasons for cyberbullying, especially for teenagers and young people. Growing up as a teenager can be a difficult time as young people are discovering themselves, and they may feel insecure about their appearance. Because they feel insecure, they might compare themselves to their peers, which can result in envy-based cyberbullying and abuse.

Cyberbullying and video games: Online gaming has grown rapidly over the last few years. This boom has also seen a rise in online players reporting toxicity and abuse when gaming online. Online gamers have the ability to talk to other users through the use of a microphone to chat; this can be used to encourage teamwork, build friendships, and improve the overall gaming experience in general. Some players take advantage of this technology and use it to abuse players through verbal abuse or text/messaging abuse.

There are a variety of contexts and considerations when it comes to cyberbullying, and therefore, it is important not to internalize abusive comments aimed at you.

Talk to someone: When going through cyberbullying, it is important that you build up a network of support from friends, family, and people you can trust. These people will be able to help you and support you. Talking to people in times of crisis can not only add a voice of reason or rational thought; it can also help you feel better for being able to share your thoughts and feelings without judgment. If you are a young person or teenager who has fallen victim to cyberbullying, you might want to consider talking to a parent or teacher that you feel you can trust. If the cyberbullying is occurring in school or involving people who attend your school, a teacher should be able to help you resolve the issue effectively.

Don't retaliate: When people are cyberbullying others, they are normally doing it for a reaction. If you choose not to retaliate, they will eventually become bored and move on.

Assess the threat: If the cyberbully is sending you messages of a threatening nature or you have reason to be worried about your safety, you should contact law enforcement. They will be able to help you with your immediate safety and give you advice on what to do going forward.

It's important to remember that law enforcement is only there for emergencies, and you should only be contacting them if you are in immediate danger or believe your personal safety is at risk.

Public humiliation: Negative and humiliating comments shared via email, allowing other work colleagues and managers to read the messages. This problem can also be amplified by the creation of offensive memes or the sharing of embarrassing or humiliating social media posts or video content.

Sharing of inappropriate jokes and content: Communications that contain offensive comments or images referring to race, religion, or sexual preferences all amount to cyberbullying at work. Alternatively, the sharing of inappropriate, embarrassing, and offensive pictures or videos of an individual throughout the workplace leads to serious levels of distress.

Group emails and professional forums: The use of group emails or work forums to encourage people to post negative comments about an individual is also widespread and extremely distressing.

Cyberbullied by your boss: You may be bombarded with work as well as performance-related emails and unrealistic workloads while the rest of your team is left alone.

Social media: Rumors and gossip spreading via social media can give workplace cyberbullying a much wider audience. Repeated friend and connection requests from managers and your boss can lead to unnecessary pressure and can even constitute harassment.

Don't feed the trolls: Emotional reactions are exactly what they want, and the stronger your emotional response, the more aggressive their efforts will be. State your case calmly if you need to, and leave it there. Trolls want a reaction from you, but why give them what they want?

Block and report: Block and report anyone who starts to become abusive. Most websites have strict rules about trolling and will take action. Some social media platforms have a mute facility, so you don't need to be bothered by them.

Initial warning: Send a short formal warning such as "do not contact me again" and record this along with any further contact in a screenshot evidence file.

Google check their usernames: If you are not sure about someone, check out their user handle or profile name on Google to see if there are any negative comments or if they have a history of trolling.

On-site protection: Always make sure the websites and social media platforms you use have clear abuse and harassment reporting facilities. If they don't, it is probably representative of the way they treat their users.

Check yourself: Privacy policies are forever changing and updating. Google your own name to double-check what personal information you have made public. You'll be surprised to see how much of your data is out there!

Identifying your cyberbully: Remember, you may become the target of someone you already know. This could be an ex-partner or jealous friend, someone you have fallen out with, or even a business rival. These kinds of hate campaigns can be devastating and affect all areas of your life. Explore our reputation attacks section to learn how to manage your online presence.

Save evidence of online harassment: Whoever it is, they will leave a digital footprint every time they post a message, publish an image, or write an email, so make sure you record and store every piece of evidence. If things need escalating to a legal level, you might need to demonstrate 'ongoing harassment' for successful legal action.

Being targeted by trolls can be exhausting, but remember that it will end. You can learn more about dealing with trolling incidents and other forms of harassment by visiting our Support Hub.