At the Helpline we have supported many victims of cyber-bullying, who range in age from children to professionals in their 50’s. But who is responsible for these cases? The short answer is it could be anyone. The perpetrators have been other pupils at school who either publicly or anonymously post hateful comments. They have been parents of “wronged” children who start a campaign against both the school and specific staff who work there, and there have been cases where colleagues bully each other via social networking sites. There is no typical bully. Yes, girls can be mean. But boys are now more likely statistically to use online forums to bully or harass others. Young people often act without thinking, which as we know, in the online world means a very wide audience can read about what should be no more than a falling out between friends. And of course, once posted, it is there forever. The biggest group of bullies are those who do so unintentionally. It is easy to get swept along with a thread online, and to vent your own frustrations, without thinking about the effect this will have on the victim. Cyber-bullying is less personal than physical bullying and we often hear from perpetrators that they have mentally “de-humanised” the victim. It is a wakeup call when they realise the true extent their behaviour is having.
Poor Natasha was a bright, pretty and popular student, and was part of the clique which ended up bullying her. I am sure they truly regret their actions and wish they could retract them. Sadly for all concerned it is too late.
With more education, and a commitment from all involved in the digital world, we can help to fight cyber-bullying before it claims another Natasha...
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