They are everywhere. They think that they have unlimited power in the virtual space. Insolent and fearless, bullies feel superiority under their objects of persecution. But still you have a chance to defend yourself, your family and your friends from that kind of cyber attack.
About cyberbullying
With the help of every possible device a bully can make your life insufferable, if he or she knew your telephone number or your mail address. It could be worse, if the bully is trying to find a physical contact with you and following every your step. Because if the growing popularity of the Internet communications, it is easier for the persecutors to continue to write the list of possible directions, which they could use for intimidations. It could be email, messenger program, sites with all kind of media, for instance. Most of the people have cell phones, computers and other personal devices, bought for the purpose to make themselves easy to reach in any time at any place. These people usually don’t count on cyberbullies.
The rancor of persecutors may raise from insulting rumors to constant harassment of the poor victim. Who knows what cyberbullies can make up and how mighty they will be in the future? The most significant protection from that kind of abusing should be in educational organizations: schools, colleges, and universities. It is very easy, to reach such parts of society where most of its members do not have enough money or power to protect themselves or punish the abuser in any possible way.
How strong are the cyberbullies?
Selectiveness of the authorization on the Internet helps the bully’s actions stay invisible and become more destructive. There are no clues of the offence without the personal information about the infringer. The intimidations become much stronger since bullies don’t know the target personally. All kinds of electronic media may contain threatening information and can spread around the world in few minutes avoiding barriers and protections. Internet is a very powerful tool in the hands of a professional cyberbully. The Internet is faster then any other way of transportation of information. People enter so much personal data that makes almost everybody unsafe.
It is obvious that cyber persecution could lead to a stronger significant threat. Unfortunately, cyberbullying may be an example of raising the severity in recent years. Probably it will grow with constant power.
Few steps to avoid the problem
1. Pay attention where you access the Internet. A person, who has to pay attention to what kind of information he or she entered, also has to be aware of who has access to this particular computer. Any personal information that contains such elements of somebody’s intimate life as his or her own contact information, hobbies or description of any other activities increase the possibility of future intimidations.
2. Do not reply to any oppression of the bully. If you reply to the bully with the anger, you automatically become like a bully. The situation will not change this way. Stay a human. Cut the bully’s attempt to unbalance you. Otherwise, your persecutor will be just teased; he or she will choose to increase their mockeries. Try everything you can do: create another email address, if somebody has attacked your old one. Changing a cell phone number can be helpful, too. But it could be difficult to do sometimes. It may stop the receiving of unwanted emails, phone calls and instant messages. But if it still happening, you have to take care of the problem by making stronger actions.
3. Try to make a copy of everything you do. If you have an access to the Internet outside of your house, make copy of every online action you did. The emails and messages you’ve posted have to have an appropriate date and time. It is faster then to write it down by your hand.
4. Contact the organization that can help you with the problem. Authorities of your town or city can help you, if you received any intimidation and could not have an opportunity to deal with the bully. There are appropriate rules and policies that will find a salvation of the problem. You can report abuse to police or FBI, for instance. They will consider the case and decide what kind of offence it was, and what they have to do after. Also it will be better to talk with school officials. They have their own power tools to fight with problems.
Children have to know how to use the Internet safely. They need to understand that some of the Internet content might be dangerous for them and their parents. Talk with your children every time. They have to learn how to recognize the threat and tell about it to their parents. Make up the rules for using electronic devices in your house. It will help to reduce the opportunity to become a victim of cyber persecutors.
I suppose these kinds of offences have to be punished similarly as if it were a type of physical abuse. Those people didn’t find their field of activities with good intentions, so they try to harass other people and make their lives most unattractive. I wish some of these things would happen: either bullies will understand that they destroy the world where they live, or the strongest protection from their mockeries will be found.
