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Cyberbullying
AABIf you’re au fait with the internet then you’re probably not surprised to find that cyberbullying is on the increase. Cyberbullying is the buzz name given to any form of harassment by way of electronic devices which can include text messages, mobile phones, emails or internet scandal.
Like any form of bullying cyberbullying has to be wilful and include recurring or repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text. It can range from a seemingly innocent act such as continuing to resend emails to someone who is unwilling to receive it to including hate mail, sexual language and death threats. Unlike other forms of bullying the internet offers individuals an opportunity to intimidate almost any target, as there is the removal of the fact-to-face factor of traditional physical harassment. There is no body language involved and the perpetrator can hide behind some form of anonymity. This is made easier by the fact that chat rooms encourage pseudonyms, and it is also possible to have temporary email accounts. There is also the difficulty of supervising all electronic forms. Anyone following the progress of internet networking will realise its publishing potential in seconds. And thereby lies the difficulty for the victim. Publishing of defamatory material about a person on the internet is extremely difficult to prevent and once posted, millions of people can potentially download it before it is removed and react to it.
It is now wonder that with all this medium available certain personalities are literally emboldened using electronic means to carry out the antagonistic agenda i.e. they get a ‘buzz’ out of sending out cruel or confusing information, then sitting back and ‘watching what happens’. It takes less courage to express hurtful comments using keyboard than the personal voice. This is known as the disinhibition factor.
All senders of emails can be tracked by the police as the message contains information which can be traced however the tactics of internet bullies are more imaginative, subtle and insiduous. Act Against Bullying is currently working on some coping strategies for victims and we will publish those as soon as possible.
