UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL PUNJAB

Phalia Campus

Department : BS CHEMISTRY

Subject : Information and

Communication Tehcnology

Topic : Understanding and Combating

Cyberbullying and Online
Harassment

Submitted to : Prof. Sheryar Qamar

Submitted by: Ayesha Bibi

Roll Number : 14

Dated : 28-01-2024
 Whether you're just starting out online or you're a seasoned digital
learner,cyberbullying can impact any student at any time. Learn to understand the
basics, gain expert insight on handling yourself in cyber harassment situations, and
take away tips for staying safe online.
Some people think bullying is part of growing up.It helps kids develop
thicker skin and learn how to handle tough situations at an early age. However,
research has shown that bullying can impact kids long-term, especially with the
rise of cyberbullying and the use of social media to share with larger and unforgiving
audiences. The rise of cyberbullying has gone hand-in-hand with the rise of
technology use. But unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can be harder to spot.
This means that it's crucial for students, parents, teachers, and administrators to
recognize the warning signs and know what to do when they see it happening.
While many schools and states now have laws and policies in place to
address cyberbullying, there are still actions that students, parents, and teachers can
take to prevent further harassment from taking place. Keep reading to learn how you
can do your part to recognize and stop cyberbullying.

What Does Online Bullying Look Like?

Online bullying and harassment can take several different forms and students,
families, and educators need to know how to recognize each of them. Some learners
may not even realize they are experiencing cyberbullying at first given that it can
start subtly and ramp up over time. Check out the table below to learn about some of
the more common types of cyberbullying and what each looks like.

Type of Online Dissing

Bullying

How it Happens? When students or other people in an individual's life try to harm their
relationships or reputations, it's known as dissing.
This type of bullying is usually done by someone who knows the person they are
looking to hurt, and they try to use
personal information in their attacks.

Type of Online Catfishing

Bullying

How It Happens Catfishing happens when an internet bully creates a fake profile, email, or other
online presence in an attempt to fool another person. As with dissing, catfishing
usually happens between two people who know each other.

Type of Online Excluding

Bullying

How It Happens Deliberately not inviting someone or leaving them out is classified as excluding.
While this frequently happens offline, it can occur in online settings as well.
Students may not get an invitation to online groups or videoconferencing or
may be left out of group text or message threads.

Type of Online Harassing

Bullying

How It Happens Harassing often serves as an umbrella term for the many different types of
cyberbullying in use today. It someone talks about being harassed, they usually
mean that they have been the victim of some type of harmful or hurtful online
behavior, including any of those listed in this section.

Type of Online Doxing

Bullying

How It Happens Also known as "dropping docs," this type of harassment takes place when an
internet bully publishes personal information that can harm anotherperson, such as
their address and phone number, personal communication, sensitive photographs,
or details about their family. The intention is to embarrass,extort, or intimidate the
person being doxed.

Type of Online Cyberstalking

Bullying

How It Happens This often-scary type of bullying happens when a cyberbully purposefully tracks or
follows someone to the point of making them uncomfortable or fearful. Individuals
may experience anxiety, pain, or emotional distress and fear for their safety at
times. Some people who engage in cyberstalking due so out of an obsession with
someone else, while others look to steal their identity.When taken too far,
cyberstalking can have legal consequences.

Type of Online Trolling

Bullying

How It Happens Trolling is typically done by someone who wants to gain attention, cause harm, or
stir up trouble by posting inflammatory comments. Trolling often takes the form of
controversial or demeaning comments on social media posts, sometimes under the
guise of being helpful. For instance, someone might comment on a student's
weight but frame it as trying to help them be healthy.
Type of Online Swatting
Bullying

How It Happens While the actual act of swatting does not happen online, it's often the direct result
of what started as online bullying and progressed. Swatting also shows the
dangers of how cyberbullying can cross into your offline existence easily.
Swatting happens when someone calls the police or another law enforcement
agency and creates a false narrative about threatening or scary behavior
happening at another person's home. The goal is to get a SWAT team to show up
at their place of residence.
Type of Online Fraping
Bullying

How It Happens When someone uses your social media account or email to post or send things
that did not come from you, this is known as fraping.This act can sometimes be
harmless (think when someone uses your account to post that they're your best
friend, etc.) but can turn into bullying if the person posts hurtful, mean, or
inappropriate content that looks like it came from the individual they seek to harm
or embarrass.

Type of Online Tricking

Bullying

How It Happens Trickery often relates to doxing but has the added element of the bully getting
close to the person before causing harm.Tricking bullies often try to befriend their
target to get more personal details or information out of them before making it
public in harmful or scary ways.

Type of Online Flaming

Bullying

How It Happens Flaming takes place when an online bully directly seeks to insult or be mean to
another person. It can involve sending text messages, emails, or direct messages
to another person filled with disparaging words.While usually done in private, the
goal of flaming is often to start a more public online fight and bring others into it.
 Where Does Cyberbullying Happen?
While it should be pretty obvious that cyberbullying takes place online, zooming into which tools and
apps are commonly used to harass others can help prevent future issues. It's important to stay up to date on this
list, as new apps and tools are steadily developed and released. A few places where cyberbullying can happen
include:
o Social media apps: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok can all be used in cyberbullying,
specifically in instances of catfishing, fraping, trolling, and dissing. Some bullies may use comments for
harassment while others may post under fake accounts or send hurtful direct messages.
o Texting apps: WhatsApp, Kik, and Discord are all used frequently by teens to do text, voice, and video
chatting. Many of these allow users to be contacted by people outside their contact list, creating the
potential for cyberstalking and general harassment.
o Discussion boards: Reddit, 4Chan, Amino, and other public forums allow users - sometimes
anonymously - to post content that could be damaging or considered bullying to other users, including
those who they know.These and other forums can be used for doxing, tricking, trolling, and excluding.

The Impact of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can impact students and their families in myriad ways, all of which are harmful.
Whether you're a student, parent, or educator, understanding what cyberbullying and online harassment can do
in terms of mental health and academic performance helps underscore the seriousness of this ongoing issue.

Mental Health
o Increased risk of depression and anxiety: A 2018 study of more than 8,000 learners found that
middle and high school students who are bullied repeatedly are at higher risks for low self-esteem,
anxiety, and depression as compared to those who are not. They also more frequently express a desire
to avoid school and interactions with others.
o Long-term effects on bullies: In the same study, researchers found that individuals behaving in
bullying ways were at a higher risk for continued aggressive behavior, substance use and abuse, and
issues at school.
o Uptick in the need for psychiatric intervention: In 2017 a group of researchers conducted a study on
50 children aged 13-16 at a private inpatient psychiatric hospital. They found that almost half of those
patients had suffered the effects of cyberbullying and showed signs of disassociation, depression, and
anger.
o Childhood trauma and cyberbullying often connected: The same study also found a higher rate of
cyberbullying among youth who had childhood trauma. Of the 20% of students who reported being
cyberbullied within the previous two months, a substantially high number also stated they had
experienced emotional abuse as children.
o Can lead to suicidal behavior: A study. from Swansea University found that individuals under 25 who
faced cyberbullying were over 50% more likely to engage in self-harm and/or suicidal behavior
compared to peers who hadn't been harassed online.

Academic Performance
o Poorer performance in school: A study on cyberbullying and academic performance included 365
participants who had been in some way involved in bullying, either as the victim or perpetrator. 70% of
the respondents, 255 students, agreed that cyberbullying had adversely affected their academic
performance over the previous year.
o Bullying and academic issues frequently linked: A landmark study_of 2,300 middle and high
schoolers in Los Angeles found that students who are repeatedly bullied earned lower grades than their
classmates and were less engaged in the learning process. These students, according to the
researchers, are frequently mislabeled as low achievers due to fear of getting bullied if they participate.
o Bullying leads to skipped school: While primarily this includes in-person education, cyberbullying can
also lead students to skip virtual classes and not engage with the materials. The Cyberbullying
Research Center found that nearly 20% of students skip school at least once a year due directly to
bullying at school.
 o Less confidence in academic abilities:A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that
bullied students lose confidence in their academic capabilities and grow to dislike school. This then
results in lower academic achievement.
o More issues around grades and testing: StopBullying reports that students who are bullied - including
cyberbullying - have lower GPAs and standardized test scores than students who aren't. The group also
found that bullied students more frequently miss school.

10 Steps to Take if You're

Bullied Online
1. Tell an adult
Whether that means a parent, guardian, teacher, or all the above, let someone know that you
are being mistreated online. This can help with eradicating the problem more quickly and
ensuring the bully is properly dealt with.
2. Block cyberbullies
Whether on email, social media, or chat programs, the first thing you should do when
experiencing bullying is block the person doing it. While they can still create a new account and
reach you, this at least cuts them off from you temporarily and allows for time to figure out next
steps.
3. Report account
In addition to blocking the cyberbully, make sure you report the account to the administrators of
the app or tool in use. Administrators can help limit the bully’s access by blocking both their
username and IP address.
4. Change your username(s)
Despite blocking and reporting accounts, dedicated cyberbullies can still find ways to harass you
if they want. If these things keep happening despite your best efforts, it may be time to change
your email address and usernames. Use something unique that is unconnected to your name or
any identifying features to add more anonymity.
5. Keep records
Take screenshots, save emails, and keep records of anything a cyberbully says or does to you.
Having these records will be important if you’re ever in a situation where you need to press
charges or involve law enforcement to ensure the cyberbully leaves you alone.
6. Avoid responding
No matter what the cyberbully says, does, or threatens, don’t engage with them. It can be hard
not to tell them they’re being dishonest or causing you pain, but often this just eggs the bully on
even more given that they thrive on reactions.
7. Schedule a meeting with school leadership
If you’ve tried handling this on your own or hoped it would go away, but it hasn’t, involve others
from your school. Schedule a meeting with a high-ranking administrator or teacher and let them
know what is happening. Ask how they plan to make it better and stay in regular communication
with them.
8. Bring in law enforcement if necessary
Despite your best efforts to deescalate the situation yourself, sometimes law enforcement is the
only option left. Many states now have cyberbullying laws to help protect you if things get out of
hand.
9. Remember that they are trying to cause harm
Cyberbullies thrive on saying and doing things that hurt others. They often try to make their
victims feel bad about themselves and question their worth. No matter what they say, remember
that they don’t know you and aren’t telling the truth. Don’t believe their hurtful lies.
10. Stay positive
It can be hard to imagine life before or after when you’re in the midst of being cyberbullied.
Although it can feel all-encompassing, know that this too shall pass and one day it will be all
behind you.

Preventing Cyberbullying
Steps can be taken by schools and students alike to prevent cyberbullying from happening in the
first place and lessen the damaged caused if it does take place. The following section looks at
some preventative measures to keep in mind.

What Schools Can Do

Schools have many options when it comes to educating students on cyberbullying and
decreasing the number of incidents. Teachers and administrators alike can use these tips to
create an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
1. Emphasize digital citizenship
In an age where students spend hours a day on smartphones,
computers, and tablets, understanding how to function responsibly on the internet
and interact with others on various apps responsibly is more important than ever.
Check out our resources at the bottom of the page for details on a digital citizenship
curriculum.
2. Create and enforce specific anti-cyberbullying policies
Setting expectations early on for how cyberbullying and mistreatment of
fellow students and/or teachers can help dissuade would-be cyberbullies from acting
on their impulses. Let all students know that the school has a zero-tolerance policy for
this type of behavior.
3. Involve parents
Whether dealing with the parents of a student being bullied or one doing
the bullying, it’s important to bring parents into the conversation. They can help look
for warning signs and work with school staff to catch issues early rather than letting
them fester.
4. Encourage open communication
In many cases, students being cyberbullied do not tell their parents or
teachers until it has gone on for far too long. Administrators and teachers must
emphasize an open communication policy that encourages students to let others
know when they are being harmed online.
5. Provide cyberbullying education
As part of in-service training days or continuing education offerings, make
sure educators take a cyberbullying prevention class. This will help them identify
warning signs earlier and know what to do when this happens.

What You Can Do

If you or a fellow student are being cyberbullied, there are plenty of things you do can
to protect yourself and your peers.
1. Stand up for others
If you see another student being bullied online or hear that this is taking place, stand
up for them. Let them know that is behavior is unacceptable and remind them that,
 no matter what the bully says about them, it’s all untrue. Act as their ally and provide
support whenever possible.
2. Treat everyone with respect
Practicing kindness regardless of how others treat you is one of the most powerful
things we as humans can do. Regardless of whether you’re having a bad day or are
feeling out of sorts, take time to be nice to others.
3. Call out bad behavior
If you see a friend or classmate behaving online in a way that could be classified as
cyberbullying, call them out. Tell them that they shouldn’t treat and/or speak to
others in that way. If it persists, reach out to a teacher, parent, or school
administrator.
4. Create an anti-cyberbullying club
Bring together other students affected by or worried about cyberbullying and start a
club. This could involve training sessions for being an ally, awareness-raising
programs, or screenings of anti-bullying media.
5. Protect your online presence
To dissuade cyberbullying from happening, try to keep a low profile online. Make your
social media accounts private, only allow new messages from individuals in your
contact list, and never provide your contact information in a public forum.