Cyberstalking can quickly lead to in-person harassment or stalking. Exclusion is the act of deliberately ostracizing the victim. This may involve leaving them out from social media groups, chat rooms, messages, events, or activities. It may mean purposefully having conversations on social media platforms or apps that the victim does not have access to, or that they see but are unable to join.
The group may then go on to say cruel or rude things about the excluded person behind their back. Outing is when the bully publicly shares private messages, pictures, or other information about the victim on the internet. The information may be trivial or more private and serious, but either way, it is a form of outing.
Masquerading occurs when the bully, or possibly even bullies, assumes another identity to anonymously harass the victim. Often, the bully will know the victim well if they feel the need to hide their identity. The bully may harass or cyberstalk the victim. This is typically done in an attempt to amuse themselves or humiliate the victim. Bullying has become such a pervasive issue in recent years that there are initiatives and laws at multiple levels of government to prevent it. As of May , there are no federal laws that specifically address bullying.
Cyberstalking is a notable exception to this rule. Though there are no federal laws regarding cyberstalking specifically, it is a criminal action under other anti-stalking and harassment laws. Bullying may overlap with discrimination, harassment, or hate crimes if it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability, or religion.
If that overlap occurs, federally funded schools at all levels must address and resolve the harassment. The U. It is a free, confidential service that offers everything from counseling to technical assistance.
If harassment persists, victims should consider filing a formal complaint with both the U. Department of Education and the U.
Department of Justice. All 50 states have anti-bullying laws in place. Most states also have laws meant to prevent cyberbullying. Familiarize yourself with the laws and policies in your state. There may also be local laws at the regional, county, or city level.
If nothing else, most school districts or school codes of conduct contain anti-bullying language or rules. Be sure to research the various policies and laws at the local level in your area.
As discussed above, one of the most concerning aspects of what cyberbullying is includes how difficult it can be to recognize. Still, teachers should always be on the lookout for signs that a student is either being a bully or being bullied.
Some of the warning signs of cyberbullying may overlap with those of traditional bullying. One of these symptoms alone may not be immediate cause for concern, but if you begin to notice your teen continually exhibiting many of these behaviors, it may be time to address your concerns with them. Many teenagers hide the fact that they are being bullied, online or in person, from their parents, teachers, and other adults in their life. Do not take it personally if your teen does not tell you about being bullied.
It is an intense, confusing experience that everyone responds to differently, and there are many reasons they may choose not to talk about it with anyone. They may feel embarrassed or ashamed, worry that their online privileges will be taken away, or simply not know what cyberbullying is. They may fear that the bully will retaliate or the abuse will intensify if they speak up, or they may just want to figure out how to handle this situation on their own.
Also be on the lookout for warning signs that your teen might be bullying their peers. It may be unexpected or shocking, but cyberbullying is becoming more common. It is incredibly important to look for warning signs that your teenager may be a bully. Not only are they deliberately trying to hurt others, but it may also be their way of seeking attention or help.
Some of the signs to look for include the following:. Again, one of these warning signs may not be a definite indicator that your teenager is cyberbullying others. The reasons why one teen chooses to bully another are complex and varied. They may want to feel powerful, feel the need to act out for attention, or feel like they must control others. Traditional bullying is known to have adverse effects on victims.
Academic performance can suffer and anxiety and depression can develop — and these issues can continue into adulthood. And much like traditional bullying, cyberbullying can have severe negative consequences for the victim. As with traditional bullying, these issues may persist even after the victim is no longer suffering from cyberbullying, continuing well into adulthood. As cyberbullying becomes more common and widespread among teenagers and young adults, it becomes increasingly important for parents and teachers to prevent it from happening, to intervene when it does, and to respond appropriately to victims and bullies alike.
Sharing cyberbullying information is a good way to start. Even before they are old enough to use the internet, initiate conversations about internet safety. Be sure to keep this an open dialogue with your teen. You will likely need to have new discussions as their online activities change and new safety concerns arise.
Set clear guidelines about how you expect your young adult to behave on the internet. Let them know that you expect them to behave as ethically online as you would expect in person. Consider having your teen sign a youth pledge and signing a parent pledge yourself.
Learn how to report cyberbulllying. Kids may not always recognize bullying. Some kids also may be too ashamed to talk to their families about it. To prepare kids for going online or getting a cell phone, or, if you know they have been bullied online, offer these steps they can take immediately:. Block the person who is bullying. If you get mean messages through IM or a social-networking site, take the person off your buddy or friends list. You also can delete messages from bullies without reading them.
Save and print out bullying messages. If the harassment continues, save the evidence. Talk to a friend. When someone makes you feel bad, sometimes it can help to talk the situation over with a friend. Tell a trusted adult. A trusted adult is someone you believe will listen and who has the skills, desire, and authority to help you.
And, even if the bullying occurs online, your school probably has rules against it. Learn what to teach kids about safe online behavior. It has lots of helpful resources about cyberbullying , including articles for kids of different ages.
Keeping Instagram and Facebook safe and positive places for self-expression is important to us -- people will only be comfortable sharing if they feel safe. But, we know that cyberbullying can get in the way and create negative experiences. First, by using technology to prevent people from experiencing and seeing bullying.
For example, people can turn on a setting that uses artificial intelligence technology to automatically filter and hide bullying comments intended to harass or upset people. Restrict is one tool designed to empower you to discreetly protect your account while still keeping an eye on a bully. Think twice before posting or sharing anything online — it may stay online forever and could be used to harm you later. Learn about the privacy settings of your favourite social media apps.
Here are some actions you can take on many of them:. On most of your favourite social media, people aren't notified when you block, restrict or report them. Most schools take bullying seriously and will take action against it. If you are being cyberbullied by other students, report it to your school. People who are victims of any form of violence, including bullying and cyberbullying, have a right to justice and to have the offender held accountable.
Laws against bullying, particularly on cyberbullying, are relatively new and still do not exist everywhere. This is why many countries rely on other relevant laws, such as ones against harassment, to punish cyberbullies. In countries that have specific laws on cyberbullying, online behaviour that deliberately causes serious emotional distress is seen as criminal activity.
In some of these countries, victims of cyberbullying can seek protection, prohibit communication from a specified person and restrict the use of electronic devices used by that person for cyberbullying, temporarily or permanently.
However, it is important to remember that punishment is not always the most effective way to change the behaviour of bullies. It is often better to focus on repairing the harm and mending the relationship. On Facebook, we have a set of Community Standards , and on Instagram, we have Community Guidelines that we ask our community to follow.
If you think content has been removed incorrectly, we also allow for appeals. On Instagram, you can appeal content or account removal through our Help Center. On Facebook, you can also go through the same process on the Help Center. We strongly enforce our rules to ensure all people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely. These rules specifically cover a number of areas including topics such as:. As part of these rules, we take a number of different enforcement actions when content is in violation.
When we take enforcement actions, we may do so either on a specific piece of content e. You can find more on our enforcement actions here. Many of them are introducing ways to address it and better protect their users with new tools, guidance and ways to report online abuse. But it is true that even more is needed. Many young people experience cyberbullying every day. Some face extreme forms of online abuse. Some have taken their own lives as a result.
Technology companies have a responsibility to protect their users especially children and young people. Each social platform offers different tools see available ones below that allow you to restrict who can comment on or view your posts or who can connect automatically as a friend, and to report cases of bullying. Many of them involve simple steps to block, mute or report cyberbullying. We encourage you to explore them. Social media companies also provide educational tools and guidance for children, parents and teachers to learn about risks and ways to stay safe online.
Also, the first line of defense against cyberbullying could be you. Sometimes, what seems like online harassment may be accidental. The impersonal nature of text messages, posts, and other ways of communicating online means it can be hard to figure out if someone is joking or not. Most people know when they're being bullied, though, because bullying involves repeated insults or threats.
The people doing the bullying know they've crossed a line, too. It's not a one-off joke or insult — it's constant harassment and threats that go beyond typical fun teasing or a nasty comment made in anger. Sometimes, people are afraid or not sure if they're being bullied or not.
So they don't do anything about it. If you're being bullied, harassed, or teased in a hurtful way — or know someone who is — you don't have to suffer in silence. In fact, you absolutely should report any upsetting texts, messages, posts, or emails. Tell someone. Most experts agree: The first thing to do is tell an adult you trust. This is often easier said than done. People who are cyberbullied may feel embarrassed or reluctant to report a bully.
But bullying can get worse, so speak up until you find someone to help. Sometimes the police can track down an anonymous online bully, so it's often worthwhile to report it.
Most parents are so concerned about protecting their kids that sometimes they focus on taking major steps to stop the bullying. If you're being bullied and worry about losing your phone or computer privileges, explain your fears to your parents. Let them know how important it is to stay connected, and work with them to figure out a solution that doesn't leave you feeling punished as well as picked on.
You may have to do some negotiating on safe phone or computer use — the most important thing is to first get the bullying under control. You also can talk to your school counselor or a trusted teacher or family member.
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