What is Cyber Bullying?
In it’s simplest form, cyber bullying is using technology to intimidate, harass and upset people.
Just because you stick the word ‘cyber’ in front of it, that doesn’t mean that it’s any different from the kinds of things we usually think of when it comes to bullying and for those affected by it, it’s just as distressing as being picked on in the school yard or anything else that might take place in an off-line world.
As the name suggests, cyber bullying does take place predominantly on the web.
These days, anyone can set up a website or a profile on sites like Bebo and Facebook, and whilst most people who do just want to get on with things and chat to their mates, some have more hurtful motives for logging on.
Sites and social networking profiles can be used to set up what could be described as ‘campaigns of hate’. Sometimes, this by pretending to be the person they’re bullying to mock and make fun of in a malicious way, whilst others use their own profiles to leave offensive comments on a person’s page or send hurtful comments towards them via instant messaging.
Messages aren’t just restricted to the web, either.
Using mobile phones to send abusive, threatening or offensive text messages, make prank calls or even spread rumours is also classed as cyber bullying, and as our article ‘Non-Predictive Text’ shows, they can be just as hurtful as if they were done on the street.
As technology continues to develop, bullies will find more ways to get to their victims but, thankfully, as awareness of cyber bullying grows with such technological advances, more is being done to put a stop to it.
Like Cybermentors for example. The site connects young people being cyber bullied with other young people their own age known as Cyber Mentors. Through instant messaging, videos and e-mail, these Cyber Mentors provide help, support and advice to young victims of cyber bullying and the site has become increasingly popular thanks to a star-studded line-up of supporters from retired boxing champion, Joe Calzaghe to hip hop group, N-Dubz and many more in between.
CyberMentors is a great step in helping to combat cyber bullying, but there are more steps you can take if you are being cyber bullied, just see our Top Tips box to the right to find out what they are.
By LINC Staff Reporter