Cyber bullying is a major issue happening in our world today. With the never-ending advancements of technology, sometimes one will think to themselves, “when and how can we all put an end to this?” As a victim of cyberbullying herself, I am here to tell you some ways I handled the matter.
- Do not engage
This is the very first tip I would give to someone who is receiving hate online. The moment you receive a hateful message, you should immediately block the person’s account that the hate is being sent from. Although you may want to defend yourself and not seem weak, not engaging is the best way to be the bigger person in this situation. There were times where I would want to respond back and defend myself, but I realized I am just giving the hater the reaction that they want.
- Save the message
Saving the messages that you receive from the account is a clever way to have proof of the bullying. Having screenshots of the messages will be beneficial just in case you need to report the situation and show proof along with it. Especially online, a lot of things can be unsent and deleted so it can seem like nothing ever happened so having screenshots will be good evidence for your case.
- Report
If the bullying continues even after ignoring the messages and continuing to block, then it is time to report. Reaching out to friends, family, or any trusted individual you know with this type of situation is a helpful tool to help you get through this rough patch. Having someone that has your back through thick and thin is the type of person you want to lean on during this time. They will be able to support you and be there to listen to what you have to say. If the situation progresses, you may have to take it to an authoritative level whether that is reporting to the authorities or the Dean of Students at the university level with a copy of the schools cyberbullying policy if the person sending hate attends school. It is very important to make sure that you are fully comfortable with the people around you because this is a vulnerable situation to open up about to someone. Knowing that the people around you are trustworthy will help tremendously with guiding you throughout this.
- Continue doing what you love
Although going through a tough situation like cyberbullying can drain you and take over your thoughts, it is important to continue doing things that make you happy. Spending time with genuine friends, partaking in hobbies, and special activities are just some ways to boost your confidence and make you feel good. Doing this is a useful distraction to forget about the hate.
Cyberbullying will never go away in today’s world but how you handle it will help you tremendously. It definitely is hard to not internalize these hurtful messages, but as long as you know who you truly are, you start to realize it does not matter what others think. Always make sure to surround yourself with positive people that uplift you and you will start to notice that the people sending you hate online are just people who are not happy with themselves. Once you establish that self-confidence, it gradually gets easier to not have the haters bring you down.
If you are feeling hopeless, helpless, thinking of suicide you can talk to someone at 1-800-273-8255 or visit stopbullying.gov for more resources.