Technologies are designed to make our life easier, for example, now you can easily communicate with a person on the other side of the world without paying fabulous bills. But on the other hand, these same technologies have opened up the possibility for illegal actions. One of the problems with the proliferation of the Internet is online harassment or cyber harassment.
Cyber harassment refers to the compulsive harassment of a person via the Internet, for example, sending threatening messages via e-mail, blogs, forums, instant messengers or social networks, tracking and stealing identification data, posting personal information and photos of the victim in the public domain. All this is extremely unpleasant and can cause a stressful psychological state in the victim, up to depression or psychosis.
How cyberbullying happens
Typically, cyber harassment occurs in the following way: a person is bombarded with e-mails containing threats or insults, using all of his contacts on the Internet. The persecutor collects information about a person's contacts using public information, such as profiles on forums and social networks, and more private information, using spyware and through mutual acquaintances.
Often, the persecutor posts photographs of the victim on dating resources, sometimes quite specific, indicating a phone number or electronic contacts, or hacks pages on social networks and modifies the information provided, in particular, opens access to information and photographs intended for a narrow circle of people.
Implications for the victim of cyberbullying
The harm caused by cyberbullying can be assessed in different ways. For some, this is constant nervous tension, changing all accounts, pages on social networks, phones. For others, it is lingering depression, damaged relationships, careers, and reputation. There may be more serious consequences: among adolescents, victims of cyberbullying, suicide attempts occur.
How to protect yourself from cyberbullying
1. Limit access to your home or work computer, change passwords regularly, check for malicious software. Even when you leave for 5 minutes, turn on the screen saver with a password.
2. Do not post your contacts and other personal information on social networks and other resources.
3. Regularly check what information about you and your loved ones can be found on the Internet, knowing your name or login from e-mail.
4. If you are a victim of cyber bullying, keep your correspondence logs and copies of all images, this will help you prove the bullying of the bully.
5. And best of all, in no case should you be afraid to contact the police! Cyber bullying is a criminal offense!
