Cyberbullying, a modern variant of the age-old problem of bullying and harassment, has rapidly grown in prevalence over recent years. Bullying is nothing new, but the advent of technology has multiplied the effects of this phenomenon and led to the predicament we now find ourselves in. This blog post will examine how to prevent cyber bullying online, as well as some troubling statistics associated with the offense.
What Is Online Bullying?
Online bullying is a growing problem in our digital era and can be defined as causing deliberate and sustained harm toward others via technology. By exploiting technology and with a disregard for their own humanity, bullies have been able to extend their reach further than ever before and cause greater harm faster than they ever could without it.
What Percent of Bullying is Online?
Due to its non-confrontational nature, studies show that people are more likely to experience online bullying than traditional bullying. A concerning 37% of teens in the U.S. have experienced cyberbullying at least once, with 30% having endured it more than that according to a report from mediasmarts.ca.
Further studies indicated that 52.8% of students attending online school and 50.4% of students attending in-person school reported experiences of cyberbullying outside of the school day in the past year, according to a 2022 report from glsen.org. This troubling data indicates that half of all students have experienced some form of online bullying in the USA. Additional data from the same study indicated that the most common reason LGBTQ+ students didn’t always report incidents of victimization, such as cyberbullying, was because they doubted that doing so would result in any action.
These types of studies indicate that while support systems are doing the best they can, additional preventative steps should be taken to prevent cyberbullying.
How To Prevent Cyber Bullying Online?
There are a number of ways you can protect yourself and stay safe online, whether you’re already dealing with a cyberbully or simply looking to avoid any future possibility of doing so. We recommend taking the following steps to reclaim your digital charisma:
Make social media accounts private
Social media accounts can be easy targets for cyberbullying. On platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, users have the ability to configure their settings so that only approved connections can view their posts or interact with them. This will help limit the number of people who see their posts and makes it more difficult for individuals or groups to bully or harass them online.
Don’t engage with the cyberbully
It might seem counterintuitive, but engaging further with a cyberbully can make the situation worse and drag on for longer than necessary. Cyberbullies thrive on attention and are likely to continue provoking you if they’re getting a reaction. Hold your head high, stay confident in yourself and your actions, and block any contact with the bully.
Report all incidents of cyber Bullying
Every incident should be reported to a responsible adult and law enforcement including the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in order to facilitate investigations into the matter and bring closure both for the victim and perpetrator. Victims are also urged to use reporting features from social media platforms when it comes to cyberbullying on these sites. The most important thing is that any form of cyberbullying is brought out into the open and dealt with swiftly – staying silent only allows this problem to continue unchecked
Seek support from friends and family
It’s important to have a strong support system when facing cyberbullying, and looking to friends and family for help is vital. Not only can they provide empathy and understanding, but they may also have insight into the bullying situation from their own perspectives that you may lack. Additionally, there’s strength in numbers: having multiple people join forces against the cyberbully can make it easier to confront them or their messages with confidence.
Speak to one of our expert specialists
Cyberbullying can be a scary thing to encounter, but you don’t have to face it alone. Our expert specialists at 844-243-1042 are specially trained in the area of cyber bullying and would be more than happy to discuss your options. Don’t hesitate to reach out – contact us today and take the first steps towards protecting yourself or someone you know from this threatening experience.
