YOU DON’T HAVE TO SUFFER ALONE

Bullying is a serious matter. Did you know that someone can get bullied online as well?

Cyberbullying or cyber harassment is a type of bullying that takes place in an online environment. It usually involves embarrassing, threatening, or berating the victim using texts, images or videos. It can be tough for victims to get away as cyberbullies tend to be persistent. The effects to the victim include low self-esteem, self-harm, trust issues and a change in personality.

How to prevent it:

• DON’T share your personal information online.
• BE CAUTIOUS! The tone and intention of your message or comment could be taken in a wrong way.
• AVOID sending or forwarding offensive or threatening messages (including those using vulgar language).
• IGNORE and don’t respond to messages from the bully.
• DELETE or DEACTIVATE the account that you are bullied on or get off the social media platform altogether if you are threatened or blackmailed.

Actions to take on cyberbullying:

• Don’t retaliate. Ignore the person and leave the chatroom.
• Report it to the site admin using the site’s reporting or abuse tools.
• Reach out to an adult or the authorities for help and advice.
• Be civil. Gossiping and “trash talking” others increase your risk of being bullied.
• Save the evidence. Capture and save the harrassing messages to be shown to someone or authority who can help.
• Reach out for help. Contact MCMC at aduanskmm.gov.my to report a cyberbullying case. If it involves physical threats, go to the police immediately.
• Be an upstander, not a bystander. Forwarding mean messages or just standing by and doing nothing empowers bullies and hurts victims even more. Stand up for your peers, or report the behavior to the site admin or authorities.