Cyberbullying is defined as the use of email, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging (IM), insulting or offensive personal websites and defamatory online personal polling sites to support deliberate, hostile behaviour towards an individual.

Just like other forms of bullying, cyberbullying is about power and control. Those who bully others are trying to establish dominance over people they think are weaker than them. Those who bully want to make others feel that there is something wrong with them. There’s not.

The social glitch is in the behaviour, and the behaviour belongs to the bully.

A 2002 British survey found that one in four youth, aged 11 to 19 has been threatened via their computers or cell phones, including death threats. (NCH -National Children's Home, UK)

The convenience of modern technology can enable bullies to hide behind anonymity. Cyberbullying is only different in that it is a particularly cowardly form of bullying.

Cyberbullying is simply bullying in the digital world, and it can hurt. People who are cyberbullied may:

• Feel angry, hurt and anxious.
• Feel like they can’t escape the harassment because it can come from many types of technology, not just computers.
• Feel like they may not know who to trust, if they don’t know who is bullying them.
• Feel powerless, frustrated, betrayed, afraid, excluded and exposed.
• Be surprised at how innocent photos and communication can be altered and seen by, or sent to, anyone.
• Be afraid to tell their parents that they have been cyberbullied out of shame and fear of losing access to technology they use to communicate with friends.

The people who bully are the ones responsible for it. No one else can be blamed for their bullying behaviour, and you should never think that you are in any way at fault if you are a victim of their bullying.

Did you know?
According to the Criminal Code of Canada, it is against the law to:

• Communicate repeatedly with people if the communication causes them to fear for their own safety or the safety of others.
• Write something that is designed to insult a person or likely to injure a person’s reputation by exposing him/her to hatred, contempt or ridicule.

One in four students from grades 7 to 9 in an Alberta study reported being a victim of cyberbullying (Beran and Li, 2005).

According to a Canadian survey of 10 – 14 year olds, conducted by the Kids Help Phone:

• 22% visited a website they knew their parents would not give permission for,
• 20% said/did something online they later regretted, and
• 8% sent hurtful messages to others.

Here’s what you can do to help reduce the chance that you’ll be cyberbullied:

• Guard your information. Don’t give people you don’t know your cell phone number, Instant Messaging name or e-mail addresses. Never share your passwords or any other identifying information (like where you go to school).
• If you’re being harassed online, immediately:
  • Tell an adult you trust.
  • Stop the activity.
  • Block the sender’s messages. Never reply to harassing messages.
  • Save any harassing messages and forward them to your Internet Service Provider or law enforcement.
  • If the bullying involves threats, tell the police.

Take a stand against cyberbullying. Speak up when you see someone bullying another person online. Most people will stop when someone tells them to.