Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is when someone uses the internet or mobiles to deliberately upset or threaten someone else.

This is just another form of real-world bullying and no-one should ever have to put up with it! By using technology like mobiles or the internet, this type of bullying can affect someone not just at school, but at home as well. Because it takes place in the virtual world, it has a 24/7 nature and can make someone feel upset or threatened in their own home at any time of day or night.

It can sometimes be hard to identify who the cyberbully is because they could block their number or post things on a website anonymously. The nature of this type of bullying means it can have a large audience, many of whom may not even realise they are being bullies.

On the other hand, a positive thing about this kind of bullying is that it can be evidenced. With normal bullying, it can be one person’s word against another’s, but with cyberbullying you can save texts or print out emails / IM’s / WebPages. This can be used as proof to catch the bully and stop them upsetting you or anyone else.

We recommend that you save all evidence you have of the bullying. If you have nasty emails or things posted on your profile save them so you can use it as proof. Save texts or voicemails that say anything horrible. Learn how to block the bully on IM or delete them from your contacts. NEVER reply or retaliate to things they say or do; it might make the situation worse, and people on the outside may think you have contributed to the situation. If you don’t respond, the bullies are more likely to get bored and move on. If you are being bothered via text, contact your service provider. Each network has a special area for this sort of problem. Check out their website or call them for advice or a free number change. Please see below for a range of contacts.