Cyberbullying has become rampant with the advent of social media. It seems that online harassment or cyberbullying happens on different social media platforms and one of them is Twitter. Social networking sites are meant to bring people together and make communication a lot easier. However, one thing that is also happening with social media is the common occurrence of abuse and harassment. The form of harassment found on Twitter can be anything from racism to sexual threats against women.

Why Bullying on Twitter is So Easy

It is no surprise that bullying on social media platforms is an easy feat. It only takes a few minutes for a cyberbully to create a fake account and then start their online attacks against other users. However, this does not say that some people will not use their personal accounts, because there are also those who will gladly attack someone using their personal social media account.

People who use their personal accounts to terrorize someone are a lot easier to deal with. On the other hand, those who create dummy accounts (people known as “trolls”) may be difficult to trace because of the false information they provide on their profiles. If you report these trolls to the page administrator, they are likely to be banned but they can easily come back just by making more fake accounts. Fortunately, more people are stepping up to these forms of harassment and taking proactive measures just to get rid of online bullies.

People are also sick and tired of online abuse. Cyber-attacks on innocent victims are not something you will want to enjoy. Bullying, in any form, is not acceptable; it is not something tolerable offline and there is no reason to tolerate it online as well. There are still many people across the world who find the use of the Internet relatively new, so they may also find cyberbullying a new thing.

What Statistics Say About Bullying on Twitter

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, particularly the Cyberbullying Research Center, there are about 52% of teenagers who have reported cyber-attacks in 2013. Cyberbullying does not just happen to young people. In fact, this form of abuse can happen to anyone at any age. Some adults even set a bad example to young people by doing the cyberbullying themselves.

How to Stop Being Cyberbullied on Twitter

Social networking sites have terms that users should agree to before signing up. However, it is easy for people to break the rules and not abide by the terms. If you know someone who is being abused online, do not interfere and take matters into your own hands because you will likely become the next victim. What you can do is report the attacker through the “Report Abuse” option you can find on the site. All social networking sites have this option. Some people even consider deleting their account by searching for tips on “how to deactivate my Twitter account” or “tips to deactivate my Twitter” just to be done with their tormentors.

Deactivating Your Account

On the other hand, if you are a victim yourself and you want to avoid the trouble of being continuously abused on Twitter, there is always the option to deactivate Twitter. The easiest route to avoiding cyberbullying is to learn how to deactivate Twitter on mobile or on your computer and be done with it. Of course, you may miss out on the news that you follow, but you can always come back and make a new account and start fresh.

If you are serious about how to deactivate your Twitter account, just follow these simple steps:

  • First, you need to log in to your account from your desktop. Keep in mind that you cannot deactivate Twitter mobile; the deactivation has to be done through the computer. You need to log in before you can proceed with the deactivation.
  • Look for the Settings page. Click on what appears as the gear icon usually found on the upper-right corner of the home page. You should be able to find the word Settings from there.
  • Scroll down the page and you will be able to see “deactivate account”. Click on it.

The Twitter account deactivation process usually takes 30 days in order to take effect. Within 30 days, your account is still viewable; you can even still retain your account just by logging back in within 30 days after you have chosen to deactivate your Twitter account. In case you want to come back after a long hiatus, you can just log back in using the same account.

For some victims of cyberbullying, deactivating Twitter may be the only solution. This is especially true when the online attacks are so severe that the victim loses the dignity to face the online world.

What Else Can You Do About Cyberbullying?

Being a victim of cyberbullying can give you the feeling of being helpless, but there are various steps you can take to protect yourself from online harassment. While deactivating your Twitter account can help, you must also consider talking to someone about the problem. Here are some tips on how to react to cyberbullying:

  • Document – It helps to document the cyber-attacks you have experienced and you must have it in hard copy. This serves as hard evidence should you take matters further for a more serious investigation.
  • Ignore – If you do not want to deactivate Twitter because you still enjoy being online, there is always the option to ignore. Research shows that if victims show little or no reaction at all to cyber-attacks, they can avoid cyber-bullying at all costs. Some bullies bully more if they see that their victims react devastatingly to harassment.
  • Talk to someone – Confide in someone you trust deeply. It could be your parents, your best friend, your guidance counsellor, or your teacher. These people can help you get through cyberbullying. Your school may even have policies on cyberbullying. You should know that you are not alone in this endeavour and there will always be someone who is willing to extend their support and help.
  • Block the bully – There are many ways that you can cut off the bully not just by choosing the Twitter deactivate account option. You can also block the bully’s profile. If the bully already has your personal contact information, you can download apps that screen text messages or calls from unknown numbers. There is also the option of reporting the bullies to the web administrators so they will get kicked out for violating the website rules.

These suggestions can be pretty easy especially if you are determined to get rid of the cyberbully. On the other hand, here are additional things you should not do when you encounter a cyberbully:

  • Stooping down to their level – While it may be tempting to get back at your attacker, it is never a wise decision. Bullying back the bully will not make you a better person than the bully. You will also become a bully yourself.
  • Letting the bully get the best of you – Bullies aim to destroy their victims’ self-esteem. If you believe what a bully spreads about you, you will likely suffer more. No one should be harassed; not even online. Cyberbullies are usually insecure and they hide in the comfort of being anonymous. If you are greatly affected by cyberbullies, talk to someone about it for support so you can regain your self-esteem.

There are so many ways that you can surpass the torture of being cyberbullied. There is always the option to leave social media behind by choosing the Twitter deactivate link. However, you should not be the one to get away from it all – you need to rise above the situation. Cyberbullies are only strong and confident because they believe they remain anonymous. If you show them that you are serious about fighting against cyberbullies, you might just be able to stop them successfully.