Cyber bullying refers to bullying through information and communication technologies,mediums such as mobile phone text messages, emails, phone calls, internet chat rooms,instant messaging and the latest trend of social networking websites such as MySpace,Facebook and Bebo. Cyber bullying is a fast growing trend that experts believe is moreharmful than typical schoolyard bullying. Nearly all of us can be contacted 24/7 via theinternet or our mobile phones. Victims can be reached anytime and anyplace. For many children, home is no longer a refuge from the bullies. “Children can escape threats andabuse in the classroom, only to find text messages and emails from the same tormentors when they arrive home."
Parents often tell their children to turn off the mobile phones or stay off the computer. Many parents don’t understand that the internet and mobile phone act as a sociallifeline for teenagers to their peer group. Victims often don't tell their parents because they think their parents will only make the problem worse, or that they might even confiscate their mobile phone or take away their internet access and removing that social
lifeline. While bullying is something that is often ‘under the radar’ of adults, cyberbullying is even more so. Teenagers are increasingly communicating in ways that are often unknown by adults and away from their supervision. They organise their social lives through these mediums. Their friendships are made and broken over these mediums.
In order to stop a cyber bully you first have to know your rights. It is your right not to be threatened and harassed, and if someone is doing so, even if it is with the anonymity that the web provides, you have the right to have it stopped. Cyber bullies often harass their victims on chat rooms and through social networking sites. They will typically follow you around the internet and bother you no matter where you are. They may also enlist others in their attempts to harass or embarrass you. Knowing what cyber bullying is, and how it happens, gives you the power not only to recognize it, but to avoid it. You can only stop cyber bullying if you know what it is.
Reporting a cyber bully in a great 1st step for dealing with, and ultimately stopping, one. If the bullying is taking place while you are on a public site, report the behavior to the site administrator. In addition, if you are at school, or on a private network, notify the school, or network provider, of the problem is occurring. If the bullying is severe, threats are specific or if there are multiple incidences, report the person to the police. Many police departments now have entire units that do nothing but investigating cyber bullying. Remember that cyber bullying is defined as bullying that takes place electronically between minors. If an adult is involved it becomes a much more serious charge.
If a cyber bully is harassing you, the best thing you can do is to block them. If you are on a public chat site, where you can’t block them, see if the site administrator would be willing to block or remove them. If you are on a site where you can block them, block them. For example, if they are bothering you on your Facebook page, simply delete them as a friend, make your page private so that people can’t send you messages or view your profile, and add the person to your block list.
If you are being cyber bullied, it is up to you to get help. Tell a parent or a teacher. Tell someone so that the problem can be attended to, and you can get help dealing with the psychological effects of being bullied. It can be extremely helpful to have an adult on your side, especially if the bullying is not singular in nature, but is a group effort at humiliation or threats. Many cyber bullies get others to help them attack their target. This means that a whole group of kids from your school could be online bugging you, making fun of you and generally harassing you. Cyber bullies thrive on anonymity, which means that if you can determine who they are, their power over you is greatly reduced. Cyber bullies might follow you around the internet, use the same chat rooms you use, post to your social networking sites and send you inappropriate text messages, among other things. Knowing that they can follow you and being aware of the ways they can harass you will enable you to put a stop to them.
So,as the conclusion we must stop this problem of social networking. It will harm ourself. We must take care of ourself. Stopping a cyber bully is not easy. In fact, a cyber bully can make surfing the web, connecting with friends and doing your homework miserable activities. Cyber bullying, like other kinds of bullying, involves a lot of negativity and confidence bashing.
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