Insulting: Posting or spreading false information about a person that will cause harm to that person or that person’s reputation.

Identity theft: Pretending to be someone else to make it look like that other person said things he or she doesn’t believe or that aren’t true about him or her.

Uploading: Sharing images of a person, particularly in an embarrassing situation, without her or his permission, or sharing emails without the writer’s permission.

Excluding: Pressuring others to exclude someone from a community (either online or offline).

Harassment: Repeatedly sending someone nasty, mean and insulting messages.

2008 University of Toronto cyberbullying survey, nearly one in five Canadian students surveyed reported having been bullied online in the past three months. In an Alberta study, one-third of students who had cyberbullied had also been victims of it. Cyberbullying can be much more severe in its effects than offline bullying because the targets feel they have no escape. Also, because of the wide scope of the Web, there can be many more witnesses to the bullying. Perpetrators may be more likely to engage in bullying behaviour online because they can’t see or hear the effects of their actions, and because it’s possible to be anonymous online. Taken from www.mediasmarts.ca

Anyone can create a false identity online. Cyberbullies have been known to report false gender, education, employment profession, names, and area of residence. Cyberbullies could be close by or in another part of the world. It is far too easy to sound sincere online.

Never give personal information about you i.e.: full name, phone, address, other…before you check backgrounds. How do you check backgrounds? Call us we will give you suggestions.

Perpetrators will wear many masks, watch for inconsistency and irrational comments. The cyberbully may show up on many discussion forums making subtle statements about you.

If things do not ring true to you, trust your gut. Tell someone you trust about what is happening and show them examples of your concerns.

Flag and/or copy all negative responses. Target or bystanders can keep copies of notes and emails.

Do not retaliate. Avoid being manipulated and remove yourself from further dialogue.

Targets need to send their evidence to the specific social media head office, and/or contact the bullies professionals regulatory body, and make a complaint. If you don’t, you may be enabling someone to continue their attacks and fraudulent activity.

If you are a bystander, please copy what you witness and offer the target some support – privately. Protect yourself first and foremost.

You may choose to send the perpetrator one firm, direct, professional request for the attacks to stop. If the attacks (covert or overt) continue, remove yourself from all connections until the authorities resolve the situation. Civil Law: defamation, slander. Criminal Law: harassment, defamatory libel.

Cyberbullying can be malicious, illogical, irrational and most of all, dangerous. Seek support for how this is affecting you, decision making and action taking. You do not deserve to be treated this way.

Alberta Law: The Education Act was revised in 2012 to define bullying as “repeated and hostile or demeaning behaviour by an individual in the school community where the behaviour is intended to cause harm, fear or distress to one or more other individuals in the school community, including psychological harm or harm to an individual’s reputation.” The Act requires students to “refrain from, report and not tolerate bullying or bullying behaviour directed toward others in the school, whether or not it occurs within the school building, during the school day or by electronic means,” while school boards must “establish, implement and maintain a policy respecting the board’s obligation under subsection (1)(d) to provide a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that includes the establishment of a code of conduct for students that addresses bullying behaviour.” Alberta’s law is notable because it requires students to report cyber-bullying if they witness it, with penalties including suspension and expulsion possible for those who do not. Taken from http://mediasmarts.ca/

 

Linda Crockett
780-965-7480