How to Stop Cyberbullying

Stopbullying.gov defines cyberbullying as "sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else". This content can be shared via social media sites, forums, text messaging, e-mail, or various online games and social media apps.

Cyberbullying can include online harassment, spreading rumors, severe bullying, and threatening messages. A bully's behavior can also take the form of sending someone a virus, hacking into an e-mail account, disrupting a person's playing experience in an online game, or intentionally revealing embarrassing information about someone among their peers.

Cyberbullying has many terms associated with it, and we'll go over a couple important ones here. Trolling is when someone posts intentionally antagonistic messages on an online bulletin board or discussion area. Griefing, one of the most common forms of cyberbullying, is harassment of another player or participant within an online game. Griefing has many different manifestations, some of which have their own specific names. For example, kill stealing: consistently killing monsters that another player is trying to kill, frustrating his attempts to advance in or play a game.

Acts of cyberbullying vary widely in content and effect, but they can be genuinely traumatic, especially in highly realistic worlds that blur the borders between fantasy and reality. And if an online gamer has invested hundreds or thousands of hours into his avatar (internet representation of himself), online character or position in a game universe, there can be a significant emotional attachment at stake.

On the other hand, posting embarrassing photos or stories on a social media sites viewed by an entire high school can devastate a student. Cyberbullying often leads to real-life, physical bullying, as well as feelings of depression, hopelessness and loss.

Experts say that the internet makes bad or anti-social behavior easier. The anonymity allowed by the Internet emboldens bullies as they feel shielded from the consequences of their acts. Judith Donath, an MIT professor who studies media and social networks, told CNN that online interactions easily change people's perceptions of what's acceptable and what's not; it also can contribute to a sense that other players or participants aren't real human beings [source: CNN.com].

Much of the material on cyber bullying only mentions children and high school students, but it's not limited to young people. There are reports of teachers as victims, with some even being forced to give up teaching due to constant harassment. Some kids use technology as a way to rebel against and taunt authority figures. Many of the online gamers who engage in these tactics or are experiencing cyberbullying are adults.

On the next page we'll look at some methods of stopping cyberbullies.

Cyberbullying can be particularly traumatizing because it means home is no longer a safe place. A cell phone, video game, or social network becomes just another form of harassment. Fortunately, there are some ways to deal with the cyberbully problem.

Most games, social media companies, and ISPs provide systems to deal with disruptive users. Some are integrated into the program and user-controlled, as in the case of social media platforms that allow you to block certain users from interacting with you. Many companies provide a formal complaint process, through which users may be warned, suspended or banned.

Educators and campaigns like stopbullying.gov say that children should be educated about the impact of this form of bullying. Children should have outlets so they can talk about and report the problem. Potential bullies need to know that consequences exist, while parents should talk to kids about using technology responsibly and acting appropriately online.

Some cases of cyberbullying have spilled over into real-life altercations or even reported instances of suicide. Police in Japan arrested a man for repeated virtual muggings in the game "Lineage II" [source: Washington Post]. That arrest was likely due to the fact that the stolen virtual goods were later sold for real-world currency.

Some analysts advocate using Dunbar's Number to prevent cyberbullying from occurring. Dunbar's Number says that social groups of more than 150 people break down because people can't maintain connections to others in the group. Limiting the size of online groups, such as by making game worlds, virtual towns or other groups smaller, may make people feel more interconnected. That sense of community would in turn engender a sense of responsibility and fair treatment toward others.

Another proposal entails the adoption of an Avatar Bill of Rights — essentially a list of rights for online personalities. There's some debate about what such a document should contain and how it would be enforced. Still, many members of the gaming and development communities have called for a substantial and vigorously enforced Avatar Bill of Rights.

One problem with stopping cyberbullies is that some game worlds or social networks are simply too huge and the number of complaints filed too numerous. "Second Life," with more than six million registered players, is often cited as needing more regulation, especially since it allows its players to earn virtual money that can be exchanged for real American dollars [source: Washington Post].

"Second Life" bills itself as an entire virtual world, where "citizens" can earn real money as they conduct business, interact and live out an existence that in many ways mirrors the real world, all the way down to the realistic appearance of their avatars. Companies like IBM have opened stores and offices in "Second Life." Several countries have "Second Life" embassies.

As perhaps the most prominent of the merging of real and virtual worlds, "Second Life" is also a place where abuse, bullying and other virtual crimes have become frequent occurrences. The founder of "Second Life" said that he hopes that players eventually devise their own legal code and justice system, which may help solve some of "Second Life"'s bullying and harassment problems [source: Washington Post].

For the time being, some aspects of "Second Life" and other online games, such as gambling and, in some countries, virtual depictions of underage sex, remain governed by real laws and carry real penalties.

Cyberbullying involves abusive messages and mean behavior that can spill over into actual criminal activity. As technology companies grapple with their role in the epidemic, family members, trusted adults, school administration officials, and young people need to have open dialogue about how to identify and report cyberbullying.

For more information about dealing with cyberbullying and to read copies of the proposed Avatar Bill of Rights, please check out the links on the next page.