Cyberbullying is an issue that has been considered a worldwide concern, especially in first world countries. However, what is alarming is the fact that Cyberbullying In South Africa is also very rampant.
We might wonder. Who are cyberbullies? What are their modes of harassing and causing trouble to individuals? What are the mediums used? This article will try to answer the mentioned queries on bullying in South Africa and cyberbullying in South Africa.
Mediums Utilized by Cyberbullies and Remedies for Cyberbullying In South Africa
Humanipo.com mentions the following on Cyberbullying In South Africa:
- Phones. You can be bullied with the use of your phone. What actually happens is that the culprits will send you an offending text message or will attempt to bombard you with anonymous calls. In the first instance, studies show, that the text messages will be seldom moderate until it will come to the point that your phone will be flooded with messages and your phone will be ringing once in a while. SMS bullying is among the most common forms of cyberbullying. Because we are too attached to our mobile phones, the tendency is that we can be readily harassed by bullies. But we ask, where did the bullies obtain our contact number? One theory is that the bullies have attained access to phone directories. For this reason, persons who are engaged in business and who have the tendency to give their contact numbers to clients and prospective investors can be easy victims. However, in most instances, it is believed that the bullies are people who are personally known to the victim. They can be an envious work buddy, a nosy neighbour or a schoolmate who just despises you. The remedy? Block the bully’s number. You can call your network operator for assistance.
- Social Networking Sites. The prominence of social media these days has easily allowed bullies to lounge their attacks. This is especially true for social media users who are complacent in keeping their profiles public and without utilizing the security settings provided by social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. In addition, the trend of posting pictures on various applications like Instagram and Flicker has aggravated the risk of being bullied. The remedy? Be more cautious in keeping your profile private and accessible only to people you really know. Also, keep the settings of your posts accessible to a limited audience. At most, you can always deactivate your account.
- Email. It is true that nothing can be more annoying than opening your email and realizing that someone has been harassing you. To most of us, our emails are used for professional purposes like business transactions, online bookings, flight and hotel reservations as well as sharing files with business associates. But when it happens that you are bullied via email then take the necessary precautions. Keep those spurious messages in the spam folder. You can also make another email for your peace of mind.
Cyberbullying In South Africa: Who are Cyberbullies and Their Qualities
As mentioned cyberbullies are individuals whom you might personally know. But it can also happen that they are persons that you have not even met.
- Nature of the Antagonists. The antagonist, the bully according to news24.com, is often a person who was once a victim. In South Africa, it has been observed that the growing case of cyberbullying can be attributed to the attitude of the people. South African youth for instance is known to be naturally aggressive. Surveys revealed almost half of the population would admit that have been a victim of bullying in the university or their community. This can be a very sad fate for these young people. In addition to this, a website in SA has been discovered to host cyberbullying activities. Active participation was observed among various University students where most members are exposed to degrading comments.
- What to do. The fact that the main target of these harassment activities is young boys and girls who can be vulnerable can be really alarming. On this end, parents are encouraged to keep a close eye on their children as well as to take immediate actions in the event that they suspect any signs of harassment. For younger girls and boys, parents are advised to monitor the usage of the devices of their children. Phones, access to emails and social networking sites should be regulated if not totally eliminated as long as the harassment continues. School authorities are recommended to take measures to protect their students from bullying – cyber or otherwise.