Cyber-bullying is a crime and should be treated as one
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Cyber-bullying is faceless, gutless, soulless cowardice in its purest form, hiding behind the anonymity that the Internet gives perverted abusers.
Most cyber-bullies don’t love themselves, pretending to be tough to get others to like them, hiding their own fragile insecurities, fears and unhappiness.
Cyber-stalking ranges from rumours, taunts and harassment to personal insults, slurs and vile attacks, transmitted through email, instant messages, chat room exchanges, website posts and digital comments or images sent to a cellular phone.
Your most effective recourse is to ignore it or to “unfriend”, block or ban the classless offender if you can.
Cyber-bullying knows no bounds, geographically or culturally, and is an equal-opportunity offender.
Reportedly, over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, with a like number admitting to participatory bullying. Only about 10 per cent of victims report the online assaults.
Mobile phones are the most common channel.
About 70 per cent of students report seeing frequent bullying online, 68 per cent of teens agree that cyber-bullying is a serious problem and 81 per cent of young people think bullying online is easier to get away with.
Girls are about twice as likely as boys to be victims and perpetrators. Bullying victims are two to nine times more likely to commit suicide.
Cyber-bullying harassment and cyber-bashing stalking are crimes if you can prove invasion of privacy, defamation or intentional infliction of emotional, physical or psychological distress.
Charles Frederickson
Bangkok
