Cyberbullying – Take Action & Report It

February is Anti-Bullying month, a month that aims to raise awareness of bullying, which is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes, and online.

To recognize bullying, it’s important to know what it actually is: “Bullying is a form of aggression where there is a power imbalance; the person doing the bullying has power over the person being victimized.”

One in five students are affected by bullying, so the chances are that you or someone you know is being impacted, especially with how easy it is to contact someone in this online world.

Cyberbullying is using computers, smartphones or other connected devices to embarrass, hurt, mock, threaten or be mean to someone online. It is a serious issue that we can stop.

Watch for the signs that someone you know might be being cyberbullied:

 

• Someone begins to avoid or spends much more time using their computer/phone/devices
• They often seem upset/angry, especially after receiving comments/emails/messages/texts
• They become more secretive about their online activities.
• They suddenly delete their social networking profiles and accounts
• They don’t feel like eating and have trouble sleeping

 

It’s very important to speak up. Once you speak up, other people are more likely to speak up too.

If you, or a friend of yours, is a victim of cyberbullying:

• Report it to someone you trust and if it happens on a social media site, report it as abusive.

• Administrators will likely place restrictions on, or even ban anyone who violates their policies.
• If you think physical threats have been made or a crime has been committed, contact the police.

 

Cyberbullying hurts, but there are things that you can do to prevent and deal with it, if it happens to you or to someone you care about, and together, we can stop cyberbullying.