Bullying & Trolling .. What you can do?

A bully ? 

How do we define bullying? 

Bullying Synonyms

Its clear that bullying is on the increase, we see it on the social networks especially from people who hide their identity - lets talk about this problem and over the next few weeks look at real life examples.

Types of bullying:

• Physical
• Verbal
• Relational
• Collective
• Mobbing 

Over the next few weeks lets focus on - online bullying and its long term affects. What is the motivation of a bully and how as a collective of friends and acquaintances we can help lessen the impact. 

Cyber-bullying

Cyber bullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber-harassment or cyberstalking - a crime that can have legal consequences and involve jail time. This includes email, instant messaging, social networking sites (such as Facebook), text messages, and cell phones.

Trolling

The Internet has opened up the world to everyone. Unfortunately, some people use these platforms as means of inciting unwanted, often circular, arguments, launching repeated attacks and monitoring people’s activity without their consent.  Those who behave abusively online are referred to as internet trolls, and examples of ‘trolling’ include: -

• Posting repeated ‘comments’ on message boards or news articles, attacking someone’s
  character and/or invading their privacy, or designed to provoke argument

• Repeatedly sending abusive or otherwise upsetting Tweets or making false statements. 

• ‘Following’ a person into online chat-rooms or Facebook in order to interrupt conversations and invade their privacy
• Encouraging others to make rude and abusive comments. 
• Sharing negative posts on as many different mediums as possible. 

Trolls or cyber bully's sometimes labour under the misapprehension that they can say and do what they want online.  Alternatively, they may take the view that they can get away with 

it (perhaps by disguising their identity).

Everyone has a right to enjoy what this world has to offer without fear of attack – and that extends to the World Wide Web.  Under the law of England and Wales, any course of conduct (two or more incidents) designed to cause a person alarm or distress, or where the perpetrator ought to know that is the likely outcome, is harassment.  It is a defense for the perpetrator to show that their conduct was reasonable, but with ‘trolling’ this will rarely be the case.

Harassment is a criminal offence contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment.  Victims should consider whether they wish to make a report to the Police.   Unfortunately, however, the Police are often overstretched and under-resourced,  online crime of this nature is sometimes not seen as a priority.