Cybermobbing - Definition, What to Do

Tip 1 of 4: Observe the behavior of your online interlocutors

Look out for signs of bullying

As already mentioned, cyberbullying is when bullying from real life is transferred to the electronic communication environment. In this case, the victim of persecution may be contacted in the following ways:

• Through threatening or derogatory verbal statements: inventing unpleasant nicknames, attempts to control behavior, threatening to reveal any personal information or use violence.
• Sending humiliating or threatening pictures and photographs.
• Massive sending of messages by e-mail, SMS and other means of electronic correspondence, both threatening and non-threatening.

Pay attention to attempts at public humiliation

Public humiliation is considered another common form of cyberbullying, when a person is humiliated not directly, but through interaction with his circle of acquaintances. In such cases, the following illegal actions may be carried out:

• Posting derogatory phrases and entire articles on the Internet.
• Spreading rumors and gossip about a person on social networks or through other electronic communication channels.
• Displaying images, photographs or collages that degrade the honor and dignity of the victim of persecution.
• Creating a special website aimed at collecting and posting material that degrades the dignity of the victim of persecution.

Pay attention to front men

There are often situations where "trolling" consisted of passing off a bully as his victim and subsequent actions that damaged the reputation of the victim. With this method of bullying, it is much more difficult to expose the impostor, because bullies mostly try to fabricate the name and other profile data of the victim with maximum similarity.

There are also attempts to hack the victim's accounts and then send humiliating messages on their behalf.

Tip 2 of 4: Take action immediately

Try to find out the reason for the bullying

Sometimes the victim of cyberbullying is well acquainted with the bully who started persecuting her. Accordingly, you can try to fix the problem by discussing it with the guilty person, and not via electronic communication channels, but in person.

Unfortunately, it is not often that the source of bullying is a reasonable and justified reason. Sometimes, by humiliating other people, the bully only wants to overcome his own problems and complexes. The main thing to remember is that online bullying is not the victim's fault.

When the bully is not identified, or if the victim is being bullied by a group of people, talking to them is unlikely to bring a successful outcome. In such situations, it is worth taking more decisive measures.

Stop communicating with the bully

If the bully does not stop his actions through communication, start ignoring him, no matter how he tries to contact you. If you want to make an appointment with a psychologist to get moral support, he will explain to you that silence will put the bully in a stupor. After all, when the victim responds to provocation, this is perceived by the "trolls" as a victory.

You should not threaten the bully that you will find him and punish him. This will only fuel his interest and make the situation worse.

Save evidence of bullying

Save any electronic information (emails, files, and images) used for your bullying. Record the time and date of receipt of incriminating data. The more information is known about the bully, the faster he will be defeated.

Block the bully

Immediately "cut off the oxygen" to the bully's humiliation by blocking his access to information about you on social networks, blogospheres, etc. Save all received messages from the pest, then:

• Remove the bully from your friends and subscribers on social networks, and if possible, add his page to the "black list" prohibiting him from viewing all information about you.
• Block the receipt of emails, SMS and calls from the annoying person.

Change your social media account settings

To stop the cyberbully's attempts to find a new way to contact you, restrict public access publication of personal information. Take the following measures:

• Do not provide your contact information online, or in the access settings allow only those people you trust to see it.
• Change your nickname (nickname) and avatar on social networks, preferably to ones that will not give you away when the bully tries to search for you.
• It is best to create new accounts, especially if you suspect that someone is contacting you on your behalf and compromising you.

Tip 3 of 4: Ask for help from strangers

Don't wait until the last minute to ask for help

You should draw the attention of others to the problem of cyberbullying, not allowing the bully to do harm. If you do nothing, the pest will feel his impunity. Don't hope that the problem will go away on its own, so take action as soon as possible.

If the victim of bullying is a small child or teenager, he or she should seek help from adults: relatives or teachers.

Parents should take the problem of their children very seriously, they may even need to consult a psychologist if the bullying has seriously affected the psyche.

Discuss the problem with the management of the educational institution

Each school should have authorized representatives to combat hooliganism in real and virtual life.

Contacting teachers or the school administration in the case of cyberbullying is the right decision that will help get rid of the problem on a global level, because it can also affect other students.

Notify the site administration

Cyber mobbing is almost always a violation of the policy and rules of the Internet resource. Inform the site administration about the illegal actions of the bully. You will most likely be asked to provide evidence of the bullying, after which the administration will decide what to do about it.

Contact law enforcement for help

In some cases, cyberbullying may be considered a crime.

You should contact the police if the bullying has reached the point of:

• Stalking.
• Threats to kill or abuse the victim.
• Using child pornography to blackmail and shame.
• Taking photos or videos of the victim without their knowledge.
• Expressions of extreme hatred.

Tip 4 of 4: How to Prevent Cyberbullying

Never make information publicly available that can harm you.

Monitor your personal form of communication on the Internet

When communicating with other people, try not to create conflict situations so as not to make enemies. If a conflict is brewing, try to resolve it in a personal conversation.

Don't respond to people when you are in a bad mood. Emotional statements can be misunderstood.

Don't participate in cyber mobbing

When your friends are trolling, don't take part in it. It is the herd instinct that multiplies the danger of cyber mobbing. Try to convince your comrades of their wrong behavior, hinting at administrative and criminal liability. Do not distribute information online that could compromise you or another person.