Stop cyber bullies
Tuesday 25 July 2006
Technology is great, we love it.
It’s great to send texts and emails, there are loads of great websites and newsletters (like n2k's 'The Knowledge' – sign up on the homepage).
We are able to keep in touch with our mates, we can do more and, of course, we can go online and read need2know.
Some people, however, use technology in a bad way and with cyber bullying on the increase, the government's brought out some guidelines for dealing with it and staying safe online.
Cyber bullying can take many forms. Abusive text messages, poisonous emails, hate sites and aggressive instant messaging are all ways in which the person suffering the bullying can be made to feel uncomfortable, alone and scared.
Don’t be cyber bullied, don’t be a cyber bully
Three things to remember when you're online or on the phone.
1. Respect other people - online and off. Don’t spread rumours about people or share their secrets, including their phone numbers and passwords.
2. If someone insults you online or by phone, stay calm and ignore them.
3. ‘Do as you would be done by.’ Think how you would feel if you were bullied. You’re responsible for your own behaviour: make sure you don’t distress other people or cause them to be bullied by someone else.
If it's happening to you, the first thing to remember is that it’s not your fault. It's the person doing the bullying that's got the problem, not you.
If you receive nasty emails
- Never reply to unpleasant or unwanted emails because a response is just what the sender's looking for.
- Keep the emails as evidence and tell someone you trust what's been going on.
- Contact your email provider's abuse team. You should be able to find out how to do this on your email homepage.
- Don't reply to an email address you don't know, even if there's an option to 'unsubscribe', because this confirms to the sender that your email address does exist.
If you get hassled in a chatroom or over instant messaging
- Don't give out any personal details online; you should use a nickname in chatrooms.
- Don't accept emails or open files from someone you don't know.
- Remember that people in chatrooms might not really be who they say they are.
- If someone starts acting weird or making you feel uncomfortable, get out of the chatroom straight away and tell someone.
- Think before you write: don't leave yourself open to bullying.
If you get dodgy phone calls and creepy texts
- If you get an abusive or silent call, don't hang up straight away. Instead, put your phone down somewhere and leave it for a few minutes, then hang up or turn your phone off. Once they realise that they aren't bothering you, callers usually get bored and leave you alone.
- Always tell someone each time it happens.
- Don't give out your personal details to just anyone. Be selective about who gets your phone number. If someone calls you and asks you to confirm your number, ask them what number they want and tell them whether they're right.
- Screen your calls by letting your voicemail kick in if you don't recognise the number calling you. If it's a mate, they'll leave a message. Don't give out your name on your voicemail message.
- Make a note of times and dates of calls that make you feel uncomfortable and report them to the police.
- Keep all abusive texts and show them to your parents. If they become threatening or malicious and won't stop, report them to the police and show them all the messages you've received.
Need more bullying advice? need2know's Beat Bullying site has heaps of practical tips and advice on dealing with it. Our related articles sidebar is packed with more background info and true stories of n2k readers who experienced bullying.
