15 Facts About Cyberbullying

Illustration of a woman facing cyberbullying. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

15 Facts About Cyberbullying

Also widely known as cyber harassment, cyberbullying is a form of harassment or bullying that is carried out through electronic means. Cyberbullying is also referred to as online bullying. In the new modern and technological advancement era, cyberbullying has been increasingly common across the world.

Teenagers find themselves more bullied online rather than the elderly who do not use the internet more often. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the big stages where teenagers bully and harass others.

Cyberbullying comes in several harmful ways like posting of rumors, threats, sexual remarks, body shaming, personal information of victims, and other provocative slang. The bullies tend to repeat and insist on their harassment to their targeted victims with an aim of making their lives miserable.

Victims end up suffering from low self-esteem, increased suicidal thoughts, and other negative emotional responses which include anxiety, anger, depression, and frustration. Most of the cyber bullies walk away scot-free without being recognized as some use pseudo accounts to hit at their victims and vanish into thin air.

Here are the 15 Facts About Cyberbullying:

1. Technology is Mostly Used in Cyberbullying

An iPhone and laptop showing technology improvement. Image by Firmbee from Pixabay

Bullying has been a trend for several years as those who feel superior to others lay their fury on their victims. However, bullying has evolved over the years as technology continues to advance.

With technology and modernization taking over, bullies have turned up to cyberbullying their targeted victims. The use of technology such as social media, messaging apps, online platforms, and other media has been used to intimidate and humiliate people.

2. Cyberbullying Takes Many Forms like Sending Threat Messages

People have been asking how cyberbullying is usually executed by those who enjoy intimidating others. Cyberbullying can be carried out in various forms which leave the victims on the low and others tend to take away their lives.

It occurs through sending of threat messages, spreading rumors about the targeted victims, and creating od fake social media profiles to tarnish and demean the victims. Cyberbullying can also be committed by sending embarrassing photos or videos of the victims or photo-shopping them in an inappropriate manner.

Read 35 Best Tech Companies in NYC.

3. Bullying can Occur on a Daily Basis to Break Down the Victims

A woman being cyberbullied. Courtesy graphic – US Department of Defense. Wikimedia

Several online bullies tend to be idle people who love intimidating and wrecking the reputation of others. This makes them a lot of time to cause havoc to those they target.

Cyberbullying can occur throughout the day (24/7) which makes the lives of the victims very hard. The victims involved in cyberbullying cannot get the time to escape or seek help from the bullying they get online.

4. Cyberbullying Reaches Wider Audiences & Perpetrators cannot be Traced

Traditional bullying used to happen to the victim only as the bully/bullies targeted their victims in undisclosed areas and humiliate them. Cyberbullying is very different from the traditional type of bullying.

Cyberbullying usually reaches out to a wider audience with millions of social media users being able to follow up on the intimidation process. What makes cyberbullying even more difficult to tackle is that the perpetrator or perpetrators can get away without being traced.

5. Cyberbullying Comes with Serious Consequences to the Victims

A person suffering from cyberbullying. Image by un-perfekt from Pixabay

Intimating innocent people in public spaces that millions of people frequent usually hurts and haunts victims very much. Some of the content of cyberbullying make people lose their respect in the society in which they are held in high regard.

Cyberbullying usually has several serious consequences for the victims as well as those people who are around them. It can cause anxiety, depression, suicide, suicidal thoughts, and several other negative consequences. The people around the victims can also have major problems including loss of financial, and emotional support.

6. Bullying can Affect Anyone in the Society

Traditional bullying majorly targeted school-going children who were roughed up by their seniors. However, cyberbullying is different from traditional bullying in the aspect of those who are targeted more.

Cyberbullying can be directed at anyone and everyone regardless of their social status, age, gender, race, or ethnicity. The cyber bullies frequently pick their victims after learning more about them then they attack viciously. Children, teens, and adults have been affected by cyberbullying over the years.

7. Cyberbullying can be Carried out by People Known to the Victims

A lady was shocked and staring into a phone. Image by ACWells from Pixabay

What shocks many is that some of the cyberbullies are people well-known to the victims. Cyberbullying is mostly carried out by people who are known to the victims and might be their family members, friends, or work colleagues.

After investigations on some of the cyberbullying incidents, people get shocking details on the identity of the perpetrators. Those people close to the victims might want to gain something in one way or the other through cyber harassment.

8. Anonymous Profiles are Commonly used for Cyberbullying

In several cases, cyberbullies try to hide their identity to avoid being handed over to the authorities or being caught up easily before completing their missions. There are several tactics used by cyberbullies to keep their identity hidden and recovered.

Several cyberbullying incidents are carried out by perpetrators who use anonymous profiles that they hide behind. They create fake social media accounts where they commit their crime without revealing their identities. Investigators, the victims’ close family, and the victims are usually left in suspense about who is harassing them using fake accounts.

9. Cyberbullying was at its Peak during the Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown

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Several researchers found that there was an increase in cyberbullying during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, many children and adults were quarantined at home and, as a result, spent more time online than before the pandemic.

A study of adults published in the Journal of Social Psychology, for example, found statistically significant increases in both pro-cyberbullying attitudes and cyberbullying offending behavior. Some of the harassment reported during this time led to huge negative impacts on the victims than during the normal time as many had no one to talk to.

10. Certain Professionals have been Targets of Cyberbullying

Online bullies do not only target individuals but also professionals in various fields. Politicians, teachers, preachers, medical practitioners, and other professionals have been targets of cyberbullying.

During the covid-19 pandemic, medical practitioners were targeted by cyberbullies after the vaccine was been released. Politicians and other professionals have also been affected by online harassment over the years.

Also, read 60 Famous People Who Died from COVID-19.

11. Internet Trolling and Cyberstalking are Major Types of Cyberbullying

A person showing a long message on a phone. Image by saferinternetat from Pixabay

Cyberbullying usually comes up in various forms according to the targeted victims. Internet trolling and cyberstalking are the two major types of cyberbullying that many victims go through in their lives.

Internet trolling takes place in an online community that includes online gaming in game lovers and on social media platforms. Cyberstalking on the other hand is a type of harassment that is carried out using electronic communications to stalk or threaten the victims.

12. Major Law Enforcement Acts have been Placed to Curb Cyberbullying

Initially, cyberbullying was so hard to deal with as this was a new type of harassment that was coming up during technological advancements. However, different countries and states have come up with strict laws to enforce and bring cyberbullying to an end.

There are cybercrime units that are always on the radar of capturing cyber bullies who are always treated as a big threat to the lives of people. Cyberbullying has always been treated as a serious crime because the victims can suffer long-term impacts.

13. Cyberbullying can be Prevented by Promoting Digital Literacy

A seminar taking place in a hall. Photo by DavidHauschke. Wikimedia

Over the years, various authorities have been working hard to do away with cyberbullying crimes. Other than law enforcement, there are other ways that online harassment has been dealt with.

Through the promotion of digital literacy, cyberbullying has been increasingly managed across the world. Children and young people have been taught how to be safe while online, avoiding clicking on suspicious links and promoting of kindness and respect online.

14. International Organisation has Come up to Advocate against Cyberbullying

The Cybersmile Foundation is an international anti-cyberbullying organization that is dedicated to combating all forms of online bullying, abuse, and hate campaigns. This organization was founded in 2010 in response to the growing number of cyberbullying-related incidents.

Some of the cyberbullying-related incidents included depression, eating disorders, social isolation, self-harm, and suicides wreaking havoc on people’s lives all over the world. Through social media interaction, email, and helpline support, Cybersmile assists victims and their friends and families. Stop Cyberbullying Day is also held annually to raise awareness of the issue.

15. Victims of Cyberbullying are Encouraged to Seek Help

First Lady Melania Trump delivers remarks at the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention (FPBP) Cyberbullying Prevention Summit. Photo by Andrea Hanks. Wikimedia

The victims of cyberbullying usually go through hard times dealing with the harassment they receive from the perpetrators. Some of them tend to keep this major issue to themselves leading to negative impacts on them, their families, and society.

However, victims of cyberbullying have been encouraged to seek for help from people near them or professionals to address this issue. Reporting to the relevant authorities is encouraged to help in dealing with cyberbullying completely.

Cyberbullying should not be treated as a light matter as it leads to negative consequences for the victims and society. Ignoring the attacks is not the best solution as more people will be exposed to such if they are not reported.

Read Beyond the Myths: 15 Eye-Opening Facts About Bullying.