(Cyber) Bullying

Bullying is something you see often. Kids being called names by others kids, or even grown ups. I don't like it when I see it, and I'm someone who opens their mouth when it shows.

"Go pick on someone your own size."

I know, right? In real life you can do this. However, on the net that becomes alot more difficult. Most of us teach our kids to walk away and ignore the bullies. To go get help from the teachers when it happens at school. Or ring the nearest doorbell you find when on the streets.

"If they want stuff from you, don't give it. Because once they got it, they will use you again."

Most kids that get bullied stand out already. But theres really nothing wrong with being yourself. Alot of bullied kids get emotional problems, or stay scarred for a long time. Yet I can't bring myself to stay mad at the bullies either. Most of those kids and adults have had problems at home, causing them to get emotionally scarred as well. However that doesn't mean I'm okay with them bullying others. I just think we should start at the root of the problem.

"Bullying and acting-out behavior is a cry for help. Well, most of the time anyway."

That is often the parents. No, I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but there's a big world out there and even as a parent you might not always see the danger your child is in. Some parents raise their children too protective, some too loose with no boundaries. Emotional attachment is important too, but not too much. You want your child to feel loved, not suffocated. Give them enough space to develop themselves, but also try to keep them safe from harm.

"Everyone should be given the chance to become who they want to be."

I'm sure by now most parents will hate me, so let's go back to the start.
Cyber bullying. Much more dangerous than the old skool personal vendettas. The internet is a great place for information, but also the perfect tool to emotionally destroy as well. Our children should be taught the dangers of the net. If not, there's a big chance they will find out the hard way. Literally everything you post on the net is public.

"Everything can, and will be used against you."

Yeah, pretty much. But things like chat logs and such also get saved on the net. Perfect to blackmail someone who's cheating on their partners, or finding frauds, perverts, etc. Cyber bullying comes in many forms and theres often not much you can do about it. Still, it often develops into slander (bad mouthing) rather then just a prank or whatever. Thats why we should all keep an eye on eachother when posting photos, updates etc. Sensitive information should be left out so you can never really become a target.

"Private matters should remain private."

So, what can you do when you see someone being cyber bullied? Or when it's you who is being bullied?
When it involves children only, try to contact the parents and/or school to have them talk it out. You can also go to the police if it becomes really bad.
If you don't know who the other party is, all you can really do is try to contact the bully and explain to them why you don't like what they do. If they do not listen, you can try to contact a site admin. You can go to the police for this too, but unless it's severe, I doubt they'll be of much help.

"Above all, try to remain calm. They will only like it when you struggle."

If you see someone being publicly slandered or harassed, like on a forum or chatroom, you can of course try to defend them. However, contacting an admin is probably the best idea there. That way you'll avoid becoming a target yourself. And nobody can accuse you of anything you didn't do.

"How can you protect someone without getting cover yourself first?"

Sometimes it's a good idea to get help in a community before acting on your own. This is what I usually do before contacting an admin. It doesn't always work though. There's a chance they have friends there, which - if you ask for help - will make you look like the bad guy. As if it wasn't bad enough already! Well, in the end, it's important to keep it in the back of your mind:

"Some people are just like that. They don't change. It's just sad."