In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

Bullying is done on purpose, it’s not an accident. If someone hurts you during a game by accident that is not bullying, but if every time you played a game they hurt you, or your feelings that would be bullying.

It can aim to hurt a group of people or just one person and can be done by a group or just one person.

Bullying happens more than once. The bully/bullies do it over and over and over again and they can take away your self esteem and confidence.

Almost everyone will be affected by bullying during their life. This can be as a child or as a young person or it can happen as an adult in work, it can even  be as an elderly person in the community.

Nobody deserves to be bullied. EVER

REMEMBER you should never have to say, “I was only messing” they should already know!

They may have problems at home; when people witness violence or people being nasty to each other at home, they may come into school and copy what they see. They feel bad about things and want to hurt other people to make them feel bad too.
They may think that picking on people makes them look cool or hard , if you see someone bullying others, don’t stand and laugh or cheer. Walk away and go and get help. If you stand and watch and laugh you are just as bad as the bully because now you give them an audience to urge them on.

They could be jealous of who you are or what you look like. Maybe they are used to getting a lot of attention and if someone takes their lime light then they don’t like it so they hurt them instead.

They do not know how to be a good friend, if everyone was a good friend to others, bullying would not be happening.

No child should have to Suffer in Silence

Never put yourself in danger, if you see someone fighting or arguing never step in to stop it, this could end up in you being hurt, but we would want you to go and get help. Don’t stand and watch; this just encourages the bully even more because you are giving him or her an audience.

Tell a person you trust what you have seen happen.

Write it down, saying the four W's: WHO, WHAT, WHERE and WHEN this way you will have all of the facts and you will not be saying things you have heard from others or spreading  rumours. You should then give what you have written  to a teacher and allow them to deal with it.

Approach the person who is being bullied and ask them if they are ok, by doing this you are supporting the person and showing them that you do care about them and they have a friend. You are also showing the bully that you think what they are doing is wrong without getting involved in an argument.

If you are friends with the bully ask them to leave them alone. Bullies aren’t always nasty to everyone, you might feel a friend of yours is doing the wrong thing and you should be able to tell them they are wrong. Some people think if they do this then they might get bullied? I don’t think a friend would do this. Would you want your best friend to be scared of you?

Anybody can become a recipient of cyberbullying, regardless of how old they are or the kind of job that they do or what their hobbies might be. In fact, it is well documented that a lot of our favourite celebrities and role models also experience cyberbullying.

Do not reply to anything that has been said or retaliate by doing the same thing back. Saying something nasty back or posting something humiliating in revenge may make matters worse or even get you in to trouble.

If you can, take a screenshot of anything that you think could be cyberbullying and keep a record of it on your computer.

Most online platforms have this function, make sure you block and report the offending users to the appropriate social media platform.

You may not feel it at the time, but cyberbullying affects you in many different ways. You are not alone. Talking to somebody about bullying not only helps you seek support but it documents evidence and will take a huge weight from your shoulders.

Asses how serious the cyberbullying is. If it is light name calling from somebody that you don’t know, it may just be easier to just report and block that user.

If you are experiencing cyberbullying from somebody you go to school or college with, report it to a teacher. If somebody is threatening you, giving out your personal information or making you fear for your safety, contact the Police or an adult as soon as you can.

We recommend that you keep your social media privacy settings high and do not connect with anybody who you do not know offline. You wouldn’t talk to random people on the street, so why do it online? People may not always be who they say they are and you could be putting you and those that you care about the most at risk.

Sometimes it may be appropriate to request that a teacher or responsible adult hosts a mediation between you and the person who is bullying you online, if they go to the same school or college as you. A mediation can be scary but is often incredibly powerful. It is essentially a face-to-face conversation between you and the person bullying you in a controlled, equal environment. This is a proactive and effective way to deal with online bullying.

Always remember that happy and secure people do not bully others. People who bully are going through a difficult time themselves and will often need a lot of help and support.

Check out the new cyberbullying support hub here or join our community to start 

(Cyberbullying) is the use of technology to harass another person. This may take place on the Internet through email, social media, or forums, or through text messages via cell phone. These messages may be intentionally mean-spirited or threatening. In some instances, the bully begins and spreads harmful rumors about the victim. This might also include distributing unflattering or sexually suggestive pictures of the victim, often with hurtful commentary. A cyberbully may even go so far as to pose as another person online to hurt them, or steal their account information and use it to send destructive messages.

The Internet gives people a tool that allows them to spread these hurtful messages, rumors, and photographs all over the world. Many of these things are cached permanently on the Internet, which means the negative effect may never end. (Cyberbullying) can do more than damage a person's reputation. It can cause depression and anxiety, and lead to suicide, especially in young people such as teenagers.

Why Do People Engage in Cyberbullying?

Those who bully others often do so because they think it is funny or that they are somehow justified in tormenting another person. Some people bully out of fear, insecurity, or anger. They may be experiencing family problems at home, such as divorce, alcoholism, or abuse. Studies suggest most bullies have low self-esteem and a negative view of themselves, so they choose to pick on others in order to feel better about themselves.

Bullies often choose easy targets, such as the child who does not "fit in". It may give them a sense of power, particularly if they feel powerless in other areas of their lives. (Cyberbullying) gives teens another way to pick on each other and win their peers over to their side.

How to Prevent Cyberbullying

There are precautions everyone can take to prevent (cyberbullying). Teens especially should use caution when giving out their mobile phone number or email address, or other social media contact information. The victim should not reply to threatening or disturbing emails, as this will only encourage the bully. If others in a chat or online discussion become unpleasant, leave the conversation. Make use of the privacy and security settings on social networking sites, as this will prevent bullies from seeing information they can use against their victims.

How to Report Cyberbullying

When a teen or anyone is a victim of (cyberbullying), there are people they can turn to for help and for recourse against the person abusing them. First, an adolescent should tell someone they trust, whether it is a friend, parent, teacher, or other person who works with youth. They should keep any emails, messages, or texts as evidence of the bullying. They can also block email addresses or specific users on certain social networks, so they do not receive any more messages from the bully. Finally, they should contact their Internet service provider, the bully's Internet service provider or host for any web pages, or the help desk of any social media networks on which the (cyberbullying) occurs. Harassment of others through such sites is often a violation of the terms of service of the host or provider. As a result, the bully's account or access to the site, forum, or network may be suspended.

What Parents & Teachers Can do When Cyberbullying Occurs

Speaking to young people about this issue before it happens can help prevent (cyberbullying) in the first place. Setting rules about electronic media may help, such as taking away or limiting access to a cell phone or computer if a teenager uses it to bully others. Teach them it is wrong to bully others and that the impact on the victim can be extremely serious.

It is also important to encourage teens to be open and communicative with parents, teachers, and others who can help look out for their best interests. If adolescents feel they can trust the adults around them, they are more likely to seek help if they are the victims of cyberbullies. Remind them to keep their passwords secret and never to share personal information with people they do not know or trust. Remind teenagers not to share anything via the Internet that they do not want made public.

If a teenager reports a (cyberbullying) incident, it is important to remind them that it is not their fault. Bring (cyberbullying) matters to the appropriate authorities - teachers, principals, Internet service providers, website hosts, etc. - to deal with them. A combination of a safe and sensible approach to Internet safety, with an attitude of no tolerance for bullying, can work hand in hand to prevent (cyberbullying).
 
(C) Emma Kavanagh