Cyber bullying is bullying through the use of technology devices such as mobile phones, internet and cameras (Cyberbullying, Human Rights and bystanders, n.d.) Bullying is targeted, persistent harassment aimed at hurting the victim, physically, emotionally or psychologically.
Technology can be used to send hurtful texts or images, post damaging images, messages or videos online, post gossip etc. and can reach many people in a very short period of time (Cyber-Bullying, n.d.)
Cyber bullying may happen inadvertently. You may send a private message to a friend about someone which was meant to stay between the two of you, but there is nothing stopping your friend posting the message online or sharing it with others. Whatever you say via technology is not private. Posting on social media such as Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat, regardless of the circle of friends you have in your friend list is not private. Once posted, it is very difficult to remove (Cyberbullying, Human Rights and bystanders, n.d.)as it can be saved in many places quickly.
It is believed that 1 in 4 young people have experienced bullying in some form (Bullying, 2018)and 1 in 10 young people report cyber bullying in some form (Inclusive and Global Research on Cyberbullying, 2018) There is no need to feel alone. Some ways to protect yourself from cyber bullying are:
- Do not share private information, such as passwords, name and address or phone numbers with anyone you do not know (Cyberbyllying: What is it and how to get help: Violence , Harassment and Bullying Fact Sheet, 2011)
- Cease contact with bullies if you have been hurt by logging out and turning off devices and update your security settings (Cyberbyllying: What is it and how to get help: Violence , Harassment and Bullying Fact Sheet, 2011)
- Report harassment to the owner of the social media site and share what has been happening with someone you trust, maybe a parent or teacher (Cyberbyllying: What is it and how to get help: Violence , Harassment and Bullying Fact Sheet, 2011)
- Don’t delete messages that may be considered bullying (Cyberbyllying: What is it and how to get help: Violence , Harassment and Bullying Fact Sheet, 2011)
There is help available to anyone who has been bullied:
- Kids Helpline ph: 1800 55 1800 https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/bullying
- The Cybersmile Foundation has help and education about bullying https://www.cybersmile.org/
- Youth Beyond Blue have information to help with understanding and doing something about it https://youthbeyondblue.com
If you or a friend is being bullied, help is available.
It is important for teachers and parents to be aware of the signs of bullying such as withdrawal from usual friendships, change in personality, change in grades at school, self-harm, excuse or feigning sickness to avoid school and avoidance of activities they usually found enjoyable (Lockhart, n.d.). Every report needs to be taken seriously as children need to feel validated and that they can trust whoever they tell to help. Parents need to be involved and counselling may help. The bully’s parents need to know and work together with the school to stop the problem from becoming worse. Schools need an action plan (Adams, n.d.)