E – BULLYING IS BULLYING - Young Indian Revolution Journals Pvt. Ltd.

Written by Shivangi Singh

What is cyberbullying?

When a child or teen or any other person is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed, or otherwise targeted by another person using the Internet, interactive or digital technologies,or cell phones.

What makes cyberbullying so threatening… is that anyone can do it without having to confront the victim.

There are basically two types of cyberbullying:

Direct Attacks – messages directly to the victim.
Instant Messaging
Text Messaging
Blogs
Websites
Emailing Pictures
Stealing Passwords
Hacking or sending spyware
Cyber Bullying by Proxy – using someone else to cyberbully a victim, this proxy may know they are cyberbullying,and they may not.
Someone elsedoes this work for the bully.
Bullies may hack into the victim’s account or steal their password.
This is the most dangerous form of bullying because not only the bully and victim are involved but other people are involved as well.

Why do people bully someone?

Anger
Frustration
Revenge
Entertainment (The most unreasonable one)
To get laughs and reactions
Hunger for power and domination

Some facts regarding cyberbullying:

1 in every 4 kids has been bullied more than once in their lifetime.
India ranks at number 3 in the list of online bullying cases conducted by Microsoft in 2012.
Usage of mobile phones by almost 80% of teens makes it a common mode for bullying.
90% of the people try avoiding any steps towards bully because they think they have more power while only a few of them take steps.
Girls are more preferred victims of cyber bullying than men.
People who have suffered cyberbullying are 2 to 9 percent more vulnerable to committing suicide.

How can cyberbullying affect the victim:

It can cause anxiety
Depression
Stress-related disorders
Suicidal tendencies
Withdrawal from family and family activities
Changed in mood, behavior, and appetite
Emotional distress

How to stop cyberbullying:

Do not respond –sometimes all the culpritswant is attention and reaction. Not responding the best way to disconnect yourself from the situation and distract the person who is bullying you. If the problem persists you can consult famous cybercrime lawyers and law enforcement agencies for your protection.
Keep the evidence safe –this is the positive side of the victim in cyberbullying is that they can capture the evidence that they are fallen as the prey for cyberbullying.
Reach out for help –when the bullying is getting out of control reach out to cyber crime India lawyers and they will not only advise you but also help you come out of the situation of cyberbullying.
Use technology –either report the person or block the person on every social media handles. This may not end the problem every time but sometimes it may work.
Keep your social profile and interaction safe –social media has become a gift in everyone’s life these days but before posting or interacting with people keep few points in mind:
Always think before you post.
Being kind to others may help to keep you safe.
Do not post anything that could embarrass anyone.
You had your privacy in your hands, so think about that who all are the people that are visiting your posts.
Do not open any link or attachments sent by an unknown person.
Stop downloading media from not legally approved apps.

How parents can help:

Talk to your child about what is happening and try to get a clear picture of what your child is going through.
Keep your computers in a viewable place.
Sit and explain about cyberbullying to your children.
Teach ‘Netiquette’ to your children.
Do not give more access to laptops, mobile phones, or computers to young children.

Cyberbullying laws in India:

Section 67 of the Information Technology Act –prescribes punishment for publishing obscene material in electronic form. It gives punishment which can extend up to five years with fine which may extend to 10 lakh rupees.
Section 50 IPC – This states that if anyone receives terrorizing or threatening communications then the person shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years.
Section 66 E of IT Act – this states the punishment for the violation of privacy. Any person who violates anyone’s privacy intentionally by capturing or publishing private pictures of others shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to three lakhs.

Cyberbullying may be common, but it needs to be stopped. This problem has a significant magnitude. With the advancement in technology, in the coming years,attention to cyberbullying would become critical. Let us discuss today and come up with a solution to stop it.