This week I was a victim of some vile,vicious and incredible nasty form of Cyber Bullying by a certain FB Group and its members. No one should have to be bullied be it in person or by the internet. You have rights as a human being to protect yourself. If you feel that you have been or still are a victim of some sort of Cyber Bullying, please know that there help out there to feel safe and secure. Cyberbullying is any kind of bullying or harassment done using technology. It really sucks because it can be public, hard to take down, or affect you at home. There are a lot of things it could be, and it can affect people in a lot of different ways. Take 5 minutes to skill up on how to protect yourself. Signs this might be a problem... 1) People share embarrassing photos of you online 2) Harassing calls, texts or emails 3) People posting bad stuff about you online 4) People using your Facebook and Twitter to say humiliating stuff 5) People setting up fake profiles pretending to be you Cyberbullying – what it is and why it sucks. Cyberbullying is bullying that is done through the use of technology., for example, using the Internet, a mobile phone or a camera to hurt or embarrass someone. It can be shared widely with a lot of people quickly, which is why it is so dangerous and hurtful. Why is cyberbullying so bad? 1) A lot of people can view or take part in it 2) It is often done in secret with the bully hiding who they are by creating false profiles or names, or sending anonymous messages 3) It is difficult to remove as it is shared online so it can be recorded and saved in different places 4) It is hard for the person being bullied to escape if they use technology often 5) The content (photos, texts, videos) can be shared with a lot of people 6) This content may also be easy to find by searching on a web browser like Google. What does cyberbullying look like? 1) Being sent mean or hurtful text messages from someone you know or even someone you don’t know 2) Getting nasty, threatening or hurtful messages through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, or through sites where people can ask / answer questions like 3) Formspring or internet forums 4) People sending photos and videos of you to others to try and embarrass or hurt you 5) People spreading rumours about you via emails or social networking sites or text messages 6) People trying to stop you from communicating with others 7) People stealing your passwords or getting into your accounts and changing the information there 8) People setting up fake profiles pretending to be you, or posting messages or status updates from your accounts. How it can affect people 1) Feeling guilty like it is your fault 2) Feeling hopeless and stuck like you can’t get out of the situation 3) Feeling alone, like there is no one to help you 4) Feeling like you don’t fit in with the cool group 5) Feeling depressed and rejected by your friends and other groups of people 6) Feeling unsafe and afraid 7) Stressed out wondering what to do and why this is happening to you How to protect yourself Don’t share your private information like passwords, name and address, phone numbers with people you don’t know. Be cautious about sharing photos of yourself, your friends and your family Don’t respond to messages when you are angry or hurt - either to strangers or people you know. This will often encourage them to continue or increase their harassment of you Log out and stop messaging if you feel you are being harassed Remember you have the option to block, delete and report anyone who is harassing you online and on your mobile Find out how to report bullying and harassment on each of the different social networks that you use Keep a record of calls, messages, posts and emails that may be hurtful or harmful to you Remember to set up the privacy options on your social networking sites like Facebook in a way you are comfortable with. The Australian Human Rights Commission (1300 656 419) has a complaint handling service that may investigate complaints of discrimination, harassment and bullying. Bullying and the law. Harassment and bullying are things that a lot of people experience and it’s important to know what your rights are. More importantly – it’s important to know how they can be violated by bullying. This factsheet tells you who is responsible, and how to get help. Signs your rights are affected… 1) You’re being harassed or intimidated 2) You feel unsafe 3) People intentionally make you feel like shit 4) You’ve been threatened 5) You’re excluded or ignored What are rights? Human rights are important for everyone, everywhere, every day. All of our human rights are equally important and should be respected by everyone. You have a right to feel safe and to be treated fairly and respectfully, and not to be subjected to harassment. Bullying and harassment is an abuse of your human rights. It is a serious problem with serious mental and physical impacts. Bullying can affect you at home, school, work, in your social life and in your ability to feel happy, healthy and secure. It is up to governments, schools, workplaces and individuals (including you) to make sure that every human right is respected. Rights that could be violated by bullying. Your right to be free from mental, emotional and physical violence. Bullying is a form of violence. You have a right to be in a supportive environment (be that at school, work or online) that is respectful, safe and free from violence. Your right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Bullying can cause physical injuries, depression and other health issues. Your right to survival and development. Bullying can have serious impact on your physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. Your right to work and have a fair and safe workplace. Bullying at work can lead to physical and mental stress and depression. It can stop you being able to do your job well and cause you to need increased days off work. Your right to leisure and play. Bullying that occurs in places you play and socialise such as at school and on social networking sites and can impact on your ability to relax and enjoy different activities. Your right to education. Bullying at school can make you feel unsafe and unwelcome. It can impact on your concentration and your mental and physical health. This may affect how well you do at school. Your right to participate and have your voice heard. Bullying can make you feel unsafe and prevent you from expressing your feelings and opinions. You have the right to express your views, to have your concerns taken seriously and to participate in decisions that directly affect you. Your right to privacy. Bullying, in particular cyberbullying can make things that are personal public. You have a right to have your privacy respected by others. Some people say that bullying is part of the experience of growing up. But bullying is never OK. Who is responsible? Individuals: Just as we are all born with human rights we also have responsibilities to respect and protect the rights of others. We all have a responsibility to avoid all forms of bullying, including spreading gossip or making offensive comments about others online. Respecting the rights of others applies to everyone, including people who are your friends and those who are not, people who are isolated, new to your school or workplace or may not be very popular. If you see someone that has been bullied or treated badly you may be able to take safe and effective action to stop bullying. Bullying is everyone’s problem. Bystanders can be either part of the bullying problem or an important part of the solution to stop bullying. School and work: Your school has a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment free from violence, harassment and bullying. This protects your right to education. Your boss has a responsibility to provide a safe work environment where there is no violence, harassment and bullying. This protects your right to work. Government: Your human rights are protected by international human rights laws that the Australian government has agreed to uphold. In Australia there are also laws that protect you from some forms of bullying and harassment. au.reachout/
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:21:23 +0000