Get informed : Internet

Cyber-bullying is the use of the Internet to bully or harass one or more persons. There are two main forms of cyber-bullying:

• Threats or insults directly sent by email or chat
• Damaging rumours

The anonymous nature of the Web may sometimes lead us to act in ways that we wouldn’t in real life. We may think that nothing can touch us. The fact that we don’t directly witness the consequences of our actions on the people we bully also reduces our feelings of involvement with the victims of bullying.

Many young people who are victims of cyber-bullying simply eliminate the source and move on. But others may experience significant consequences:

• Isolation
• Lower self-esteem
• Physical problems
• Difficulty functioning in some areas of their lives
• The development of dark thoughts

The most damaging thing for young people is when cyber-bullying has real-life consequences:

• Damaged reputation
• Fear of having the threats carried out Hints for cyber-bullies