Have you ever been harassed, threatened, or verbally abused online? In this digital age where we share so much of our personal information on social media, cyberbullying has become a source of anxiety and depression among young people. Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, here’s how you should deal with cyberbullying.
Let's face it—bullying can be pretty devastating.
When people are hurtful, even the strongest of people can be left feeling angry, depressed, and undermined. Especially when it comes to cyberbullying.
The Internet may be one of the coolest inventions ever, but it's also full of avenues—the prevalence of social media sites for example—for cyberbullies to anonymously provoke and relentlessly torment others. Young people are especially vulnerable, as social networking has become such a huge part of their lives.
Rude comments, personal attacks, flame mails, threatening text messages, and hate mail are some of the ways cyberbullies terrorise people online. Unlike bullying in real life, online bullying won't leave you in physical pain, but they will be able to hurt you emotionally, causing you to suffer from anxiety and/or depression.
How to Tackle Cyberbullying
That's why you should know the best way to act and deal with cyberbullying, whether you're the one being targeted, or you know someone else who's under attack.
Here are a few tips:
Don't Respond
The first step is to ignore the malicious person. Cyberbullies love the attention they get, and the more you react the more they will return to bother you.
If someone's sending you hurtful email texts or posting insulting or hateful things on your blog, use any of the tools at your disposal to delete, ban, or report them.
Responding to cyberbullying isn’t productive. Don't try to initiate a meaningful or constructive dialogue with cyberbullies, as the mere act of engaging them in a conversation will invite more activity from them.
It's a natural response to want to defend yourself and set things straight, but in this particular case, it's best to disregard their hurtful comments and be unresponsive to them so that they will be bored and move on.
Know That Your Cyberbully Just Wants Attention
Maybe you won't see the immediate, practical uses, but it's always useful to know more about the problems you face.
In general, bullies thrive in the attention they get from bothering people. They have made it their speciality to test people's patience or to create conflict between people who would otherwise have no issues with each other.
That's why it's useless to argue with a cyberbully: it's like trying to have a grown-up discussion with a 2-year-old child throwing a tantrum to get attention. They're not interested in your opinion, all they want is attention.
In other words, by knowing how they act and what their objectives are, you'll be in a better position to arm yourself.
Keep Evidence of the Cyberbullying
In most cases, cyberbullies will get bored if no one is reacting to them and will move on.
Sometimes, however, they will take things to a new level and continue being abusive, even if they're banned or blocked.
If things get out of hand and the bully doesn't go away, keep all abusive emails, comments, and cell phone text messages in a folder—complete with dates and times—so that if you or the authorities find out the identity of the bully, you have proof of their shameful behaviour.
Of course, it's very rare to find the identity of a cyberbully, but you never know, it's happened before!
Get Help
If you ever feel the cyberbullying is getting way out of hand, you can—and should—talk to an adult and get help from someone you trust (for example, a parent, teachers or even school counsellors!).
Think about it: even mature and experienced adults need help handling bullies!
On the Internet, you never know who you're dealing with; it could be a disgruntled kid from your school trying to get you angry or it could be a deranged and/or dangerous individual.
In any case, better be safe than sorry!
As you can see, bullying incidents don't have to be worse than they are. There are many ways to deal with the problem before it gets out of hand or before your self-esteem takes a hit.
You can visit
TOUCH Cyber Wellness for more information.
Visit Parent Hub, for more useful tips and guides to give your child a healthy start.
Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.
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