You should not be afraid of this. Cyberbullying is actually easier to deal with than in person bullying. Here’s why.
Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.
As unpleasant and scary as cyberbullying is – it has an upside. When someone uses electronic communication to harass, threaten or intimidate someone, they leave proof that they did it.
Think about that for a moment. If someone calls you a name in person – you can’t prove they called you a name. They could deny it. With cyberbullying – all you have to do is take a screen shot – or save the email – and – there is your proof.
Want to report them? Share your proof.
Advice for dealing with cyberbullying
Reporting them – can bring retribution – meaning they could get upset and harass you even more. I have 2 things I want to tell you about why not to be afraid of that.
- you can report them – privately. They can’t prove it was you who reported their inappropriate behavior. It could be anyone.
- You can ignore them by blocking them.
It’s this last bit that makes cyberbullying so easy to handle. And yes, I know – it’s scary and upsetting. But making it stop – is as simple as blocking them.
Do not worry about your reputation. Yes – a cyber bully will try to destroy your reputation. But they can’t actually succeed. And the people they do convince – can’t really hurt you much.
I have been targeted and harassed in person and online. I’ve had people try to get me fired. None of them succeeded because most people – see through the obnoxiousness and don’t pay it any mind. And the people who do – are petty. And you should pay them no mind.
The secret to getting through a bullying episode – look for the helpers.
Part of what a bully tries to do is socially isolate you. They want others to ignore you and for you to feel alone. The secret to not letting them win – is to actively look for the helpers. Don’t assume everyone agrees with a bully. Many are being bullied too – by the same bullies.
Look for the people who aren’t in the “in group” and reach out to them in friendship. If you have friends – confide in them and ask them for help. Most will give it and support you – because – they’ve experienced things too.
Want to stop a bully – look for the helpers and don’t assume everyone is out to get you – most need friends as much as you do.
I cannot teach you everything you need to know in a blog post. Feel free to browse around. I have lots of free videos and a free toolkit to help you learn how to stop bullies (it does require sign up).