Cyberbullying is deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing, or hostile information to or about another person. Learn more on Cyberbullying Teaching Resources!

This increasing phenomenon has been proven to happen to 32% of young adults, targeting females more than males (a 38% 26% ratio). And often becoming so aggressive or threatening; that the victim is reluctant to go to school or carry on their regular lifestyle (13% of teenagers reported this happening to them).

Also, there are a number of cyberbullying cases in which the victim had completely lost their sense of security or self-worth; often driven to hopelessness, serious depression and emotional damage, and in some cases depression.

There is no standard target or bully; each can be the girl/boy next door, there are cases in which the victims were extremely popular and outgoing (which refutes the stereotype of victims being introverted or social misfits) and cases in which the bully had been academically successful (which disproves the notion that the bully has to be dumb or of diminished capacity).

Cyberbullying Teaching Resources: The common factor is one thing: The bully is always seeking domination.

-That may start by initially attempting to gain the victim’s trust, and getting them to share private information

-or by obtaining potentially embarrassing photos or videos of them

– or simply by finding their weak points or insecurities, and using them against them

They always seek ammunition in any way they can, in order to have the upper hand; once they start to lose that status- they lose their significance.

– In some cases, this would be a roadblock for them and would be sufficient to send them off, but in others, this would turn them violent (in cases of stalkers, paedophiles or psychotic individuals). In these situations it’s important to identify that they MUST be reported to the authorities and dealt with accordingly- any other resort would only further fuel them, and possibly give them satisfaction, and these are usually deeply disturbed and unstable individuals who probably need institutionalization.

Cyberbullying Teaching Resources: What’s important to convey to the injured party is as follows:

– That they are not alone in dealing with this and that they must seek support from those they trust. They also need to share their thoughts and feelings, that shutting out is never the solution

– That they have not been singled out due to a flaw on their part; but rather because they simply got caught at the wrong place at the wrong time and in the way of someone troubled.

-that it’s ok for them to have good days and bad days, but they can’t succumb to the pressure, and that they need to be resilient and learn to forget and move on.

– That this is a common phenomenon; which doesn’t mean it’s not a serious or painful one- but it does mean that there are a lot of others out there who’ve experienced it and overcame it. They can seek their guidance and follow their lead.

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