Cyberbullying Methods
The Various Tactics Used to Bully Online
Online bullying is a rapidly growing problem. Cyberbullying occurs in a variety of ways and there are many different methods available to bully someone electronically.
Sending a threatening or hurtful email or instant message, publishing a mocking or hateful website, forwarding private or personal information to others whether in an email, instant message, picture or video, are just some of the methods online bullies use to embarrass, intimidate, harass, threaten or ridicule another person.
• Flaming is a type of online fight. It is an act of sending or posting electronic messages that are deliberately hostile, insulting, mean, angry, vulgar or insulting, to one person or several, either privately or publicly to an online group.
• Denigration also known as "dissing", occurs when a person sends or publishes cruel rumors, gossip or untrue statements about a person to intentionally damage the victim's reputation or friendships.
•Bash boards are online bulletin boards where people post anything they choose. Generally, the postings are mean, hateful and malicious.
• Impersonation can be particularly harmful and occurs when someone pretends to be or poses as another person. This is usually accomplished by breaking into someones account, by stealing a password and perhaps changing it, or by maliciously using that information provided by a friend (one reason to never give a password to anyone but a trusted adult). Once the impersonator has access to the victim's information, considerable damage can occur. By sending out emails supposedly from the victim or by posting material online, the victims reputation or friendships can be totally destroyed.
• Outing occurs when someone sends or publishes confidential, private, or embarrassing information, online. Private email messages or images meant for private viewing, is then forwarded to others.
• Trickery is when a person purposely tricks another person into divulging secrets, private information or embarrassing information, and publishes that information online.
• Exclusion is an indirect method of online bullying, intentionally excluding someone from an online group or community.
• Harassment is when the electronic bully repeatedly sends insulting, hurtful, rude, insulting messages.
• Happy slapping is a relatively new type of bullying. This occurs when an unsuspecting victim is physically attacked, in person, as an accomplice films or take pictures of the incident. The image or video is then posted online or distributed electronically. Often the attackers will say it was only a prank or joke, hence the term "happy slapping". Happy slapping is becoming more common, especially since many cell phones now include cameras.
• Text wars or attacks are when several people gang up on the victim, sending the target hundreds of emails or text messages. Besides the emotional toil it can take on the victim, the victims' cell phone charges may escalate as well.
• Online polls ask readers to vote on specific questions, often very hurtful and demeaning, such as "Who is the ugliest person in 8th grade" or "Who do you love to hate?"
• Sending malicious code intentionally, to damage or harm the victim's system or to spy on the victim.
• Images and videos have recently become a growing concern that many schools are taking seriously. Due in part to the prevalence and accessibility of camera cell phones, photographs and videos of unsuspecting victims, taken in bathrooms, locker rooms or other compromising situations, are being distributed electronically. Some images are emailed to other people, while others are published on video sites such as YouTube.
Educators and school staff are also being targeted electronically. Some stuidents intentionally provokedor humiliate the adult and the image or video is later published online.
As evident from the listing above, there are many tactics used to hurt, harass, embarrass or humiliate electronically. As with all other Internet Safety issues and concerns, it is imperative that we familiarize ourselves with these issues and techniques, in order to keep children safer online. To learn more about cyberbullying basics, read What Is Cyberbullying for further information.
Related content and sources:
Nancy Willard Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use(CSRIU)
