Stopping Cyberbullying
If you are a victim of cyberbullying, the first thing you need to realize is that you are not alone and it is not your fault. It is often a very hurtful, difficult and time-consuming challenge to deal with the effects of cyberbullying after it has occurred. It can take a lot of time and effort to get Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Mobile Telecommunications Service Providers (the phone companies who sell you your cell phone and pagers) to respond and deal with your complaints about being cyberbullied.
Specific steps families can take to stop cyberbullying:
CERT: Dealing with Cyberbullies
Cyberbullying.org
NYS CSCIC: Dealing with Cyberbullies
Specific steps families can take to stop cyberbullying:
- Tell the person harassing you in straight forward terms, "Leave me alone, stop harassing me. Do not contact me again."
- Do not reply to anything else the harasser says. No replies to emails, taunts or lies said about you.
- Log all chats and IMs and save a copy as evidence. Save all e-mails and text messages as well as voicemails or voice messages. Take screen shots as well. Print all evidence, but keep the files on your hard drive.
- In the case of email harassment you need to contact the harasser's ISP (Internet Service Provider) and make a complaint. If an offending website has been posted about you, contact the web hosting service. If there are posts on a forum or bulletin board, contact the moderators. All phone interactions should be reported to the phone company.
- If the harassment is coming from other students at the school, contact your school's administration to see what action they would be willing to take.
- Keep in mind that some types of bullying (threats to your child, or exposing them to danger) may be illegal. Report it to local law enforcement along with copies of the materials that you have collected.
CERT: Dealing with Cyberbullies
Cyberbullying.org
NYS CSCIC: Dealing with Cyberbullies
