Cyber-Bullying

How to identify the modern phenomenon of cyber-bullying and respond to it.

• Along with increased access to digital technologies, cyber-bullying has increased, creating a new realm for parents, teachers, and workplaces to be concerned about.
• UNICEF identifies cyber-bullying as spreading lies or embarrassing photos on social media, sending insults or threats online, or impersonating someone and bullying someone else on their behalf.
• While it is associated with teenagers and children, cyberbullying can affect adults too, and HR organisations report that it is increasingly a problem in the workplace.
• During the covid-19 pandemic surveys indicated a rise in cyberbullying, the UK charity Glitch in September 2020 found that almost half of women had been sent online abuse during lockdown.
• Laws have been slow to catch up with how to deal with serious issues like online harassment, digital sexual harassment and stalking, or publishing photos without consent, but that is changing.
• A range of apps have been created to try and curb bullying behaviour online among children, teeanagers and young people.