CYBERBULLYING: A CRIME OF DIGITAL AGE

CYBERBULLYING: A CRIME OF DIGITAL AGE

Cyberbullying is a crime that that takes place over internet and involves digital devices. Cyberbullying typically occurs through messages or actions that are threatening or intended to cause offense, anxiety, or humiliation.

Types of cyberbullying

• Abusive comments, rumors, gossip, and threats made online or through texting.
• Sharing owner’s personal pictures/ videos without permission. Or sharing these to try to embarrass the other person. 
• Hacking into someone's email, phone or online profiles to steal personal information or to send hurtful content while pretending to be that person.
• Creating websites that intend to harm, make fun of someone, or spread rumors.
• Pressuring someone to do something they do not want to do, like sending pictures of themselves.

We can divide the above types into the following terms also –

1 - Exclusion

Exclusion can happen in several ways. Your child might be deliberately excluded from online activities, conversations, or social media tags. Children who don't have the latest technologies such as a mobile phone are prone to exclusion.

2 - Harassment

Harassment is sustained and intentional bullying comprised of abusive or threatening messages sent to your child or a group. This can severely affect a child's mental well-being

3 – Outing

The outing is the act of publicly humiliating a child or group through the online posting of private or embarrassing information without consent. Even reading your child's messages on their mobile phone or loud can be considered a form of outing.

 

4 - Cyberstalking 

Cyberstalking is a dangerous form of cyberbullying in which attackers harass victims through online communications like email or social media. It also refers to all adults using the Internet to contact and meet young people for abusive purposes.

5 - Fraping 

Posting inappropriate content by logging into your child’s social media account. We should remember that on internet if one thing is deleted does not means that it is fully gone.

6 - Fake profiles

Fake profiles can be created by someone to hide their real identity to cyberbully your child. The cyberbully may also use someone else's email or mobile phone to harass them.

7 - Dissing

Damaging reputation and friendship of your child by posting or sending cruel information online. This can be any information like manipulating photos, screenshots, videos, etc.

8 - Trickery

Trickery involves gaining your child's trust so so that secrets can be shared publicly online. A cyberbully will befriend your child leading them into a false sense of security before sending their private information to others.

9 - Trolling

Trolling means deliberately provoking a response through the use of insults on online forums and social media sites. To provoke or to make any one angry a troll can personally attack the person.

10 - Catfishing

Catfishing involves stealing online identities and recreating social networking profiles for deceptive purposes. Cat fishers look at your child's profile and take information to create a fake persona.

"Everyone hates you!", "I'm gonna beat you up!", "You're ugly!", "You don't have any friends!", "Loser!”, "Who would ever want to date you?", These are examples of cyberbullying.

What should you do when cyberbullying occurs?

1) Report It -

Unless you report cyberbullying to an adult, it is very unlikely to stop.

How to report cyberbullying?

1. Google your school's homepage.
2. Find the website tab where you can report bullying.
3. Click on a link that might say something like "Report Bullying" and fill out the form.
4. If your school does not have this, speak to a trusted teacher.

2) Document It

Take a screenshot of harmful posts or content. All devices can take screenshots.

How to take a screenshot?

1. Go to google.
2. Google "How to take a screenshot" and specify your device 
3. Follow the steps or the video.

3) Block Bullies

Nearly all cell phones and social media services have a block feature. Use it!

Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, all allow you to block another user, as well as most other social media platforms.

4) Support Others

Good friends and trusted adults can sometimes help change the conversation in a positive direction when cyberbullying occurs.