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Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can be pervasive and incessant. Parents should be aware of what they can do to help.

What is ‘cyberbullying’?

Cyberbullying is when someone is repeatedly mean, nasty, horrible. harassing and/or threatening towards another person using any form of digital technology, including social media, mobile phones or online games.

Like any bullying, cyberbullying often occurs between people that know each other—students at the same school, members of a sporting club, people from the same social circle, ‘friends of a friend’. If someone is being cyberbullied, they are also likely to be bullied in person.

Cyberbullying is pervasive and incessant. It differs from face-to-face bullying in that the bully can ‘follow’ their victim home and into their house. This means that it can continue 24/7. Cyberbullies may take advantage of the perception of anonymity (e.g. using an account in a fake name, or a blocked number) but in many cases it is clear who is behind the bullying.

Cyberbullying can be particularly harmful as it is often very public. Usually, many people can see what is written or posted. Once something is published online, it is difficult if not impossible to remove all traces of it. This means the bullying can be ongoing.

Forms of cyberbullying

•   sending nasty texts, posts, instant messages, pictures and/or emails. It can also be a         humiliating video.

•   repeated prank phone calls.

•   setting up a fake account in someone else's name and using that to bully and harass.

•   using a person’s password to access their account and then pretending to be them

•     forwarding others’ private emails, messages, pictures or videos without permission.

•  posting mean or nasty comments online.

•  intentionally excluding others from an online group or chat.

Please follow the link to see advice on what actions you need to take to support your child if they are being bullied or they are the bully. These resources, called Bully Stoppers: Being Cool Online, are available on the Bully Stoppers website, at www.education.vic.gov.au/bullystoppers