Online bullying is when a child, preteen or adolescent is harassed, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or adolescent who uses the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones to do it. It is an alarming and dangerous phenomenon, and unfortunately not easy to manage. For help and how to respond to an online bullying incident, read on.
Steps
Step 1. Save all messages
Bullying online is easier because the victim is not physically present. But you are smarter: after all, just click on "delete" every time you receive an e-mail, a message or an SMS; however, this is not a solution. If the bully persists, you may need to report him and you will need evidence to do so. Save and print every message he sends you. Bookmark all the websites he uses to tease you. There will come a day when you will be delighted to have kept this material.
Step 2. You don't have to interact with him
If the "bully" sends you a message, you must never reply to him. Responding to the meanness he says would only make things worse. Everything uploaded to the internet stays there forever; no matter what you do next. Whether you decide to answer him because you are angry, sad or in any other way you feel, what is certain is that you will regret it. Keep calm. It is normal to feel sad, but responding to the bully using his own weapons will not fix things and will only add fuel to the fire.
Step 3. Find out who the person is tormenting you
The e-mail address, username or avatar of the bully can be misleading about his identity and help him hide it temporarily. However, there are several ways to expose the wrongdoer. First, take note of the e-mail address or username that is stalking you. Check your inbox. Have you ever received any messages from this person before? If so, this could serve as a clue, otherwise go to the email manager's website (the part of the address after the @) and look for the bully's username. If the profile is not private, you should be able to read this person's real data. If that doesn't work, ask others for help. Tell your parents or professor about what happened. They will likely be able to track down the thug's IP address and find out his exact location.
Step 4. Face it in person
Those who behave like online bullies lose all their bravery when they are unable to hide behind a keyboard. Talking to him face to face could scare him so much that he runs away. If this person doesn't seem intimidated at all, though, and reacts by humiliating or threatening you with even more violence, ask an adult to intervene.
Step 5. If things go wrong, file a complaint with the police
In Italy there are laws that prohibit bullying of any form. After talking to your parents, let them talk to the bully's parents (if the school hasn't already asked them). If you have suffered serious wrongdoing such as humiliation, beatings or threats, this person could be suspended, expelled or even arrested, depending on the gravity of his actions.
Advice
- To avoid becoming a victim of online bullying Never give your passwords (by e-mail, blog and chat) to anyone, not even your best friend you've known since you went to kindergarten. It's for your safety and well-being!
- If things got completely out of hand, refer the incident to an authoritative figure. Sometimes the best thing is to have someone step in to stop it.
- If a user exaggerates in one way or another, you don't necessarily have to answer. Sometimes, ignoring bullies is the best thing to do.
- Give the e-mail address, that of your blog or chat only to people which you trust blindly and which you know in person.
