effects of cyberbullying on mental health

Effects of Cyberbullying: 15 Negative Impacts on Victims

‘Want to know the effects of cyberbullying and what it does to victims? Here are all the harmful impacts so that you can take steps to protect yourself from cyberbullies.

effects of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can be more devastating than face-to-face bullying. Why? Because the bullying posts are seen by a much wider audience. Moreover, cyberbullying is much harder to get away from than in-person bullying.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn all the effects of cyberbullying and the damage it does to your mental health.

Once you learn all about these negative impacts, you will take steps to protect yourself against this sinister form of bullying.

In this post, you will learn all the effects of cyberbullying. Moreover, this information will motivate you to take the appropriate measures to guard yourself against it.

Effects of Cyberbullying

I’m fortunate enough to have grown up in a time when cyber-bullying was unheard of. Therefore, when I was in school, “Street Bullying” or “Playground Bullying” was the type of bullying my generation endured.

“Street Bullying” happens face to face. It happens on the playground, in the hallways, the bathrooms, and locker rooms at school.

Years ago, a student could escape it and have some form of refuge once the dismissal bell rang, and school was over for the day. Moreover, when it got too much to endure, the target simply changed schools, and the problem was solved.

Sadly, those days are long gone. With today’s technology, bullies have unlimited access to their targets by way of “Cyber-bullying.”

During the last twenty-five years, technology’s advancement has introduced email, text, and social media. These new vehicles of communication have their benefits. However, they also have their pitfalls.

Consequently, a bully can nowadays get online and torment their targets for as long as they want. And they can do it without ceasing nor accountability.

They can, in essence, reach into the victim’s own home and torment them from afar.

Cyber-bullying, or online bullying, is bullying of another person using social media, text messages, voice mail, email, and instant messages. It is, in my opinion, the worst kind of bullying there has ever been.

So, lets get right into it.

What are all the negative effects of cyberbullying on victims and what can they do to overcome?

1. Fear

Cyberbullying causes intense fear. Victims fear that their good name will be tarnished. They may be afraid that the online vitriol may cause loss of business, job opportunities, or destruction of their marriage.

Moreover, they may fear that the cyberbully might show up at their house to do bodily harm to them. There are so many reasons this kind of harassment causes fear.

2. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Social Isolation

Cyberbullying has brought about loss of friendships and social standing in a community. It’s too easy for online trolls to get online and spread false rumors and lies about a victim.

Therefore, many people suffer social isolation and it doesn’t matter whether the persecution is undeserved or not.

3. Shame

Cyberbullying can cause toxic shame. And this shame is mostly misplaced. However, we’re all human. Therefore, we often fall into the psychological traps of cyberbullies.

4. Anxiety

Being cyberbullied can make you anxious and rightfully so. Again, this insidious type of bullying has been the downfall of many good marriages and highly successful businesses. Therefore, is it any wonder that victims suffer anxiety?

Online bullying has destroyed entire livelihoods. Moreover, it has even caused many physical attacks and murders.

5. Loss of confidence and self-esteem

As with any form of bullying, cyberbullying can wreck your confidence and obliterate your self-esteem. Therefore, it takes dogged determination not to let it destroy you.

The best you can do is to constantly remind yourself that you aren’t the person your cyberbully is trying to paint you as. Moreover, tell yourself that you aren’t guilty of whatever lies they’ve posted about you.

It won’t be easy. However, it will give you the drive to move forward even if you have to crawl through each day until things improve.

6. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Emotional and physical harm

On the emotional side, the target may experience feelings of shock, bewilderment, anger, sadness, despair, depression, hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide.

Traditional bullying is terrible and causes those feelings as well. However, it is something that you can get away from.

On the other hand, you can never escape cyber-bullying. This alone is what makes this type of bullying so devastating!

What’s even worse is what this kind of bullying does to children! In fact, cyber-bullying can be stressful enough for adults but devastating for minors.

Adults are emotionally better equipped and more adept at handling themselves in bullying situations. Whereas, children and teens have yet to fully develop good coping mechanisms.

Moreover, children do not have the cognitive thinking skills nor the processing ability that adults possess. Adults can be hurt by online bullying because they are human and have feelings also.

However, any well-rounded adult can look at the situation and see the lies posted online for what they are. Also, they have the ability to analyze the bully and see the person as they are- useless trash who needs to get a life.

That in itself can actually boost the bullied adult’s self-esteem. Just the knowing what a bottom-of-the-barrel, miserable piece of garbage the bully really is can be a huge buffer.

In most cases, an adult can usually laugh it off and go on about their business, provided it doesn’t affect their family, marriage, business, opportunities, or way of life. Moreover, an adult can refuse to accept another bullying adult’s lies and tell them to go blow it out their ear.

Children, however, are still developing and don’t have the capacity yet to do that.

7. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Loss of concentration

Who can concentrate on schoolwork or job projects when cyberbullies have libeled and slandered them, their families, or businesses? When you’re constantly having to think up ways to repair the damage cyberbullies have caused you, it doesn’t leave room for you to think about your work.

This can cause loss of productivity and is only another way that cyberbullying causes your job or studies to suffer.

8. Loss of sleep

The stress that results from cyberbullying can be overwhelming. Moreover, it can disrupt your sleep cycle if you don’t know the right relaxation techniques.

Any time you’re under enormous stress, your adrenaline is working overtime. Therefore, your body is in survival mode. And when you’re in survival mode, you won’t be able to sleep.  Why?

Because, back in prehistoric times, those survival hormones helped humans escape lions, tigers, and bears with their lives. And when you’re running from a ferocious animal, the last thing you want to do is fall asleep. Therefore, your body secretes these hormones to keep you awake, aware, and alert.

It’s the same today, only we’re not running from wild animals. We’re trying to maintain our jobs and businesses so that we can feed our families. Also, we’re trying to maintain our good reputations so that we’ll have job and educational opportunities in other to feed ourselves and our families.

Therefore, this is how we survive today.

9. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Learning difficulties

This is a close sister to number 7, loss of concentration. In fact, it is a direct result of it. Who can learn anytime when they can’t concentrate on their lessons?

Somewhere, a cyberbully is stressing them out and causing them to have to concentrate more on keeping their reputation intact. Consequently, victims of cyberbullying often have grades that plummet or poor work performance.

10. Reputational harm

This goes without saying. Victims of cyberbullying suffer much reputational damage. As a result, they suffer loss of business, friendships, marriages, even family!

Cyberbullying can strip you of everything you’ve worked hard for years to build. Moreover, the mere prospect of that is terrifying!

11. Lose of job, career or business

Victims of cyberbullying have been unjustly fired from their jobs and have even lost their entire careers because some creep behind a computer screen spread lies and rumors about them.

Moreover, cyberbullying has also been the downfall of many thriving and successful businesses. This is why you must take steps to manage your reputation if you ever fall victim to such evil.

Fortunately, there are many reputation management companies you can contact. However, be ready to pay a pretty penny for their services. Reputation management isn’t cheap!

12. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Destruction of marriage

Many marriages and families have been destroyed by cyberbullies. In most cases, cyberbullies get online and claim to have seen you stepping out with another partner behind your spouse’s back.

Your spouse gets online and runs across the post. And the next thing you know, you’ve landed in divorce court. Even worse, you’re battling for custody of your children.

Understand that this has happened to many people. Cyberbullies are the most evil monsters there is. Why? Because they don’t have to kill you physically. They can kill your home life and public life. Therefore, killing you emotionally and psychologically.

13. Discord in the family

Along with destruction of marriage comes family discord. Thus, cyberbullying sets off a vicious chain reaction that devastates the lives of innocent victims every day!

14. Thoughts of suicide

The effects of cyberbullying are so severe that many victims have contemplated suicide. However, many have recovered and rebuilt their lives.

Therefore, if a cyberbully has put a dent in your life, don’t take it lying down. Know that, though it may take a while, you can recover and rebuild what you’ve lost.

15. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Suicide

Cyberbullies have completely ruined the lives of many victims. In other words, people have lost their marriages, families, businesses, their entire livelihoods.

Therefore, cyberbullies have driven many people to suicide. Because these victims feel they’ve lost everything, they don’t feel they can go on living.

Moreover, these are people who would otherwise still be here if the online bullying hadn’t happened.

Why is cyberbullying the worst kind of bullying?

1.It gives online bullies anonymity.

Bullies are COWARDS! Therefore, your attackers may hide behind a fake screen name. Moreover, they often create fake social media accounts to conceal their identities.

Understand that they do this to avoid detection and the risk of accountability for their evil actions.

Nevertheless, with a cyberbully, you do not know who is attacking you. They often use several different screen names to make it look like many people are attacking you.

However, it might be only one poster doing the bullying online.

The trick is to see through this. Therefore, realize that your bully is doing this to further intimidate you. Why? Because bullies in large numbers is scarier than only one bully.

2. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Online bullying is harder to get away from than bullying that is face-to-face.

Gone are the days when bullying only occurred on the playground or in the locker room. Before technology took off, you could finally escape your tormentors with the ringing of the dismissal bell at school or after punching out at work..

Moreover, back then, you could go home to your family and not have to worry about being bullied again until the next school day. You could, at least, get a break from the torment.

However, not so anymore. Technology has a lot of good qualities, one of which is convenience. Unfortunately, nothing is 100% foolproof.

With the rise of social media, text, voice mail, and email, bullies can now pursue their targets 24-7. There is no longer an escape!

3. Cyberbullying has a much farther audience-reach.

In other words, a much wider audience can read the taunts, insults, threats, rumors, and lies. This is why this form of bullying causes loss of relationships, family, friends, businesses, finances, and opportunities.

Effects of Cyberbullying:

What can you do if you fall victim to a cyberbully?

If you are a cyber-bullying victim, you mustn’t respond to the incendiary posts of cyber-bullies, no matter how tempting it may be. However, I realize that some attacks, especially those, which hit you in the jugular, can cause you to respond out of emotion.

Know that this does not mean that you are a bad person for responding to attacks. It does not mean that you are foolish It only means that you are a human being with feelings.

Our first instinct is always to defend ourselves and our loved ones when threatened. Therefore, it’s completely understandable.

However, cyberbullies want to kick you while you are already down and inflict even more pain. Moreover, if you respond in any way, shape, or form, they will know that they have reached their goal. Also, they’ll only gaslight you.

On the other hand, if they never hear from you, it’s going to disappoint them. As a result, they just might give up and move on to someone else.

So, again, no matter our circumstances, we must try to never respond to the ignorance and stupidity of bullies or cyber-bullies. As difficult as this may be, it is better to never give internet trolls what they want.

And what they want is a response, any response.

4. Effects of Cyberbullying:

Instead of responding, out them! Take screenshots and expose them!

Cyber-bullying can happen to people of any age. Not only children and teens, but adults can also be cyber-bullied.

Although I have gotten along with mostly everyone as an adult, there have been a few times I crossed paths with a cyberbully. Once instance occurred right after the death of my late husband.

Therefore, I can tell you that after refusing to respond to any of it, the harassment died, and the thread was eventually removed.

Moreover, in their weak attempts to put me down, my cyber-bullies unwittingly made me so many new friends. I received so much support from all over the country.

It is amazing how the actions of a bully can sometimes turn into something wonderful. However, this, sadly, isn’t the outcome that most victims of cyberbullying end up with.

I will be forever grateful to the people (even strangers) who stood beside me during this tragic time. I hope this helps you if you are cyber-attacked. And I want to assure you that there is always hope, no matter how hopeless things may look.

What can you do if your child or grandchild falls victim to a cyberbully?

Children and teenagers have totally different values than adults. While most “mature” adults place the most value on family, career, and home and less value on popularity, children and teens place the most value on popularity.

In other words, they most value their friends and being accepted. Most children and teens place emphasis on how others (mainly their peers) see them.

They want to fit in, be liked, and be “cool.” And when those things are threatened, as they always are when they’re cyber-attacked, it can have devastating effects on self-esteem.

Therefore, as parents and grandparents, we need to teach our children confidence. Why? Because confidence is the best weapon against a bully. In fact, it’s your first line of defense against bullying.

In my opinion, teaching confidence is the most effective way to protect them. Understand taht bullies are cowards, and they always seek out kids who are insecure, self-conscious and have low self-esteem.

Moreover, they do this because they know that a child with low self-esteem is less likely to stand up to them.

So, teach the children in your life confidence. It will be the best thing you ever do for them!

This post was all about the effects of cyberbullying so that you’ll be prompted to take steps not only to protect your family, job, business and reputation, but also your confidence and self-esteem.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Cyberbullying Tactics: 9 Common Tricks of Cyber-Bullies and Trolls

2. Bullying on Social Media: 5 Reasons Why People Do It

3. Smear Campaigns: 4 Tactics Bullies Use to Sully Your Reputation

4. The Effects of Bullying: 17 Negative Results on Victims

5. Bullying and Self Confidence: 7 Steps to Keeping Your Confidence Up When People Bully You

bullying on social media articles

Bullying on Social Media: 5 Reasons Why People Do It

‘Want to know exactly why people participate in bullying on social media? Here are the 5 most common motives.

bullying on social media

Bullying on social media can be more humiliating and more devastating victims than face-to-face bullying. Why? Because the cruel taunts and attacks can be ready by a much wider audience. Moreover, vicious lies and ugly rumors have a much farther reach than in the days before the internet.

In this post, you will learn the most common reasons people use social media to bully. In other words, you’ll learn the goals of this type of bullying.

Once you learn all about these objectives, you will be better able to call it out. Also, you’ll have the ability to explain it to police, attorneys, the court, and therapists in a clearer, more intelligible manner without the risk of rambling and having to pause mid-sentence to search for the words to describe what you’re enduring.

This post is all about social media bullying, why people do it, and what they hope to rain so that you can have a better understanding of it all and quickly call it out.

Bullying on Social Media

This type of cyber-bullying is difficult for anyone. However, it’s especially damaging for children and teenagers, whose brains are still developing.

Sadly, many in this age group rely on likes, positive comments, praises, and high friend/follower counts to maintain their self-esteem. It shouldn’t be this way. No one should rely on social media to feel validated.

We live in the age of electronic baby sitters and internet addiction. Moreover, we have a generation of children and young adults who rely more on online communication than on face-to-face interactions.

This, in and of itself is a huge problem. However, it’s the reality of the times we live in.

Also, if you’re an adult who owns a business, especially a small business, this type of bullying can decimate your entire livelihood.

Therefor, the main reason people bully you on social media is to destroy your online and real-life reputation. This is the main goal of all cyber-bullies.

Effects of Bullying on Social Media

Marriage and Family:

Many people will use social media to destroy your marriage and cause discord in your family.

Causes many divorces and rifts in families. Cyber-bullies have been known to spread lies of infidelity to destroy their target’s marriage and cause problems in their families. Moreover, online harassers have also stalked their victims’ children and other family members.

People are sick these days. Therefore, you must gather evidence of it and report it to the police. Although there’s only so much the law can do, by reporting it, at least you’ll establish a paper trail.

Job and Career:

Many use social media bullying to destroy your job and career.

Can cause termination of employment from current job. Moreover, it can bring about loss of opportunities for future employment.

Cyber-bullies love to call their targets’ places of employment and get them terminated. Also, they love to blackball them to keep them from obtaining future employment.

You should never take this type of bullying lightly. Do your own investigation and gather your own evidence. Now’s not the time to be lazy.

Bullying on social media can destroy your finances:

This kind of bullying causes loss of income due to firing and lack of future employment opportunities. Therefore, it can also cause victims to lose their homes, vehicles, entire life savings, etc.

Therefore, if you have evidence of this kind of cyber-bullying and can ID the troll, talk to an attorney. You might be able to sue for damages.

Business:

Loss of customers and therefore, revenue. Cyber-trolls love to destroy businesses. Therefore, realize that it’s about power.

Again, if you have evidence and identification of the cyber-bully. Consult a lawyer and take it to court.

Health:

The stress from bullying on social media can cause not only mental health issues, but also physical ailments as well. Victims can also become disabled and unable to work because of the distress brought about by this type of online bullying.

Examples:

Examples of social media bullying include:

1. Spreading ugly rumors and lies about someone.

Cyber-bullies do this in hopes of defaming you and turning your friends and followers against you. Moreover, if you own a small company, they’ll do it to put a dent in profits and destroy your business and livelihood.

This type of bullying has caused many innocent people to lose their hard-earned reputations and, therefore, their businesses.

Additionally, cyber-bullies have ruined victim’s marriages by spreading lies and accusations of infidelity. In that, they caused division in families.

In short, many innocent targets have had their entire lives ruined due to cyber-bullies. Many more have died by suicide or have been murdered because of the vicious lies and cruelty of online trolls.

2. Bullying on Social Media:

Posting porn or compromising photos of someone

Online bullies do this to embarrass and humiliate their victims. Moreover, they also do it to make them look bad and sully their good name.

For example, classmates may sneak into the gym shower room and secretly take nude pictures of a targeted girl while she’s in the shower. They do this without her knowledge.

Later, they’ll post the pictures online for all to see.

Consequently, not only does this humiliate her, but it puts her in danger of being stalked and possibly raped by predators in the area.

Here’s another example: You have a lover who talks you into sending them nude pics of you and, without thinking, you comply. After all, you’re only thinking it would enhance your relationship. Right?

However, what happens a few months later, when the relationship ends and you part on bad terms? Remember, your ex still has all those nudie pics and beaver shots you sent six months ago. Moreover, your now ex-lover posts them online to get back at you for breaking it off with them.

Therefore, never EVER send a romantic partner nude pics of yourself. It doesn’t matter how much they beg and say they love you and would never this or that. Don’t do it! It just isn’t worth the risk!

3. Impersonating someone ad sending cruel messages to others in that person’s name.

Cyber-bullies do this to cause trouble in all your online relationships. In fact, this is a form of relational or social aggression because it’s specifically designed to destroy your relationships and to isolate you.

Therefore, if you endure bullying on social media, keep an eye out for any duplicate accounts with your name and claiming to be you. If you find some, send a disclaimer to all your friends/followers, warning them of the duplicates and to not accept friend/follow requests from them.

Moreover, taking screenshots is super important! So, gather your own evidence!

4. Bullying on Social Media:

Sending Cruel, threatening, or abusive messages/images through private message platforms, text, email, etc.

This tactic is designed to intimidate you and instill fear. Moreover, these bullies choose messaging platforms for secrecy and to keep others from seeing what lowlifes they truly are.

Therefore, take screenshots! Always, take screenshots when a cyber-bully attacks you via messaging. Then out them with it. It’s what I did when it happened to me and it worked. They left me alone.

5. Doxxing.

Doxxing is the most dangerous kind of cyber-bullying there is. What is it? You may ask.

When a cyber-bully doxxes you, they collect personal information on you and plaster it all over the internet. Moreover, the information they gather is your home address, phone number, email, and the names and addresses of your family members, friends, and associates.

Doxxers can even get your SS number and banking information to steal your identity.

Also, they also find the name, address and phone number of your employer and any organization you’re affiliated with.

This is especially dangerous because it puts you at risk of being home invaded, robbed, murdered. Someone could even target one of your family members just to get to you.

It just causes so many risks that wouldn’t be if your information hadn’t fallen into the wrong hands.

Therefore, people dox you to get your personal information and exploit it to cause you fear. Moreover, they may do it to place you and your family in harm’s way.

It’s best to contact police in situations like these. It may or may not work. However, you’ll have a report of it on file, which is a good step!

Bullying On Social Media:

In conclusion

One thing that bullying online has over face-to-face bullying is that you can gather evidence of it easily. Anything done online automatically leaves a digital footprint.

Also, you can take screenshots and print hard copies of any incendiary messages and comments to take to court.

Face-to-face bullying can’t be proven unless you keep documentation of it in a journal, wear a hidden body camera, or hide an audio-recording device in your purse, briefcase, or book bag.

However, this can be illegal depending on the laws of the state you live in. Therefore, before using any recording device whether body cam or audio, be sure to get abreast of the law. The last thing you want is for your bullies to sue you for invasion of privacy.

If you keep documentation of the bullying incidents, make sure you use the 5W method when doing so.

This post is all about bullying on social media and the reasons why people do it so that you can better pinpoint, report, and explain it when it happens to you.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Cyberbullying Tactics: 9 Common Tricks of Cyber-Bullies and Trolls

2. Fight Flight Freeze Fawn: 4 Stress Responses of Bullying Victims

3. Stop Victim Blaming: 8 Reasons People Blame Targets for Bullying

4. Bullying is Abuse: 9 Ways Bullying and Abuse are The Same

5. Social Bullying Examples: 7 Reasons Bullies Destroy Relationships

cyberbullying tactics

Cyberbullying Tactics: 9 Common Tricks of Cyber-Bullies and Trolls

Do you want to know all the cyberbullying tactics so that you can better protect yourself against cyberbullies? cyberbullying tactics

Cyberbullying can be bullying of the most devastating kind and for anyone of any age- children, teens, and adults alike. If you’re a victim of this insidious form of bullying, you are doing all the research you can to find out all the cyberbullying tactics.

As someone who’s been there myself, I’m giving you the seven most-used cyberbullying tactics you need to be aware of.

You are going to learn all the tactics cyberbullies use.

After you learn about all the most-used cyberbullying tactics, you will be wise to cyberbullies and will better be able to protect yourself against them. Moreover, you will also be able to gather your own evidence against them and get rid of them once and for all.

This post is all about the cyberbullying tactics cyberbullies use to help you gather your evidence, stand against them, and overcome cyberbullies and internet trolls.

Cyberbullying Tactics

Before we go any further, let’s explore what cyberbullying is and how it negatively affects lives.

Cyberbullying is the most malicious and dangerous form of bullying there is. This is because attacks are seen by a much wider audience, and there’s a high degree of anonymity as cyberbullies are cowards and hide behind fake screen names and profiles to avoid exposure.

With that said…

Here are the 7 most common cyberbullying tactics:

1. Flaming: Inboxing you with a barrage of insidious messages.

Again, cyberbullies are cowards who fear being detected for the sick creeps they are. So, they use your private message inbox to unleash their vitriol onto you. Even if you delete the person from your friends’ list, they can still flame you through the inbox.

Many cyberbullies think that you will be so overly emotional that you won’t think to take a screenshot of the message. Therefore, they will be emboldened to keep this up until you properly handle the situation, which I will show you how later in this post.

However, here’s something you must NEVER do:

Never react to the vile messages by sending evil messages of your own. In other words, don’t call the cyberbullies names even if they start out name-calling you. Do not react by cursing the cyberbully out or use all caps, which is read as yelling.

The cyberbullies will only use your reaction against you. Remember that they want you to react so that they can turn it around on you and make you look like the troll. Don’t give them that opportunity!

Therefore, the best response is either no response at all or an intelligent response. If you’re going to respond, respond with something to the tune of, “You seem so angry,” or, “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

These are perfect responses because you aren’t taking the blame for their behavior. Also, it doesn’t make you sound like you’re bullying anyone.

2. Cyberbullies will tag you in a post, then claim you’re stalking their page.

This happened to me once. Although this is rather obvious (or should be) to others, this tactic is used by clueless and maybe drunk cyberbullies.

Therefore, screenshot this. In fact, screenshot everything.

3. They rally their friends to troll your page.

Once you hit the “Block” button, watch for an influx of friend requests from people you don’t know or who would otherwise never in a million years “friend” you. This almost always happens just after you’ve blocked a cyberbully.

4. Cyberbullies will troll the pages of your spouse, family, and friends.

 They do this to seek and gather information about you and those you’re closest to, which is then used as either ammunition to defame you, make fun of you, or to attack those you love.

Cyberbullies who are mentally sick and dangerous will use this tactic. Don’t let this scare you, but do be concerned.

5. Cyberbullying tactics: Creating hurtful, degrading, and humiliating memes of you.

Cyberbullies do this to intimidate, embarrass you, and to bait others to harass you. Again, screenshot this as you would incendiary messages and everything else they throw at you.

6. They have others (or they do it themselves) to insert images of porn and other disgusting materials onto your timeline.

Cyberbullies do this to cause you embarrassment. Moreover, they do this hoping that others will see it and think you’re some kind of pervert.

In most cases, this doesn’t work. However, you must still make screenshots. This is how you do your own investigation and gather your own evidence.

7. Cyberbullies will copy your profile photo and create duplicate and fake profiles in your name, claiming to be you.

Next, they send requests to all your family, friends, and associates to bait them to accept.

Once the requests have been accepted, the cyberbully then sends your associates deplorable messages or tags them and posts flaming or lewd posts to their timelines in hopes of causing friction between you and the people you care about.

Therefore, it’s up to you to warn your family and friends about what’s been going on. Also, you must tell them that if they get any duplicate friend requests from you, it isn’t you sending it. This is so important!

Sadly, there isn’t much anyone can do legally until better technology is introduced to track down these vile bullies, and more robust laws are passed against this practice.

8. cyberbullying tactics: lies and accusations

Cyberbullies will also post lies and accusations about you on social media and public forums. Therefore, they sully your good name and reputation, killing opportunities of all kinds. Moreover, if you own a business, your profits could take a huge hit.

Understand that this is a way for cyberbullies to cause you to become a victim of cancel culture. This has ruined many lives and families.

I can’t stress the importance of gathering your own evidence. This is not the time to be lazy!

9. They dox you.

Doxxing is when cyberbullies and trolls gather your personal information. They can get access to your street address, phone number, email, and worse, your driver’s license and banking information.

Other information they may access is where you work, where your children go to school, and who your parents are and their addresses. Scary, isn’t it?

Next, they will post it all online and even on the dark web to cause you to be harassed. Also, this can cause you to become a victim of identity theft.

Doxxing is the most dangerous form of cyberbullying there is!

Here are the best ways to bust a cyberbully.

I always use a method I call the SBRE method: Screenshot, Block, Report, Expose!

For this method to work best, you must perform it in this exact order!

1. Screenshot.

Out them! Expose them by taking screenshots of their profiles and of the nasty messages they send you. Screenshot every message or vile comment.

Also, screenshot every cruel meme. In short, screenshot everything.

Then plaster them all over the internet. Hey, they asked for it. So, put them on blast. Exposure is the best way to shut these idiots down.

Delete the incendiary posts or comments but keep the screenshots stored in a folder.

2. Combat Cyberbullying tactics:

BLOCK.

If the cyberbullies happen to be on your friends or follower lists, you don’t need them in your life- or stalking your page. Get rid of them!

Also, the sooner you block the creeps, the less likely they are to send you a virus or get access to any sensitive information.

Therefore, after you get all the screenshots you need (only you can judge whether you have enough evidence), block them.

3. Report.

Report the cyberbullies to the social media outlet. Every social media entity has this option. Use it. They may or may not do anything about it.

However, there will still be a record. Once you report the person, take a screenshot of your report and the response you get from the social media outlet.

4. expose.

Remember that a cyberbully’s worse fear is being exposed. Make their worst fears come true. Expose them by plastering the screenshots all over the internet.

You not only do this to spare your reputation and protect yourself. But you also expose the cyberbullies to protect others from being trolled by them.

And trust me! Other users will thank you for it!

This bears repeating! Always take screenshots and save any online bullying evidence because you never know when you might need them for litigation. If by chance, you find the true identities of your cyberbullies (this is easier than you think), you can more successfully pursue litigation.

Understand that this may take a little bit of work. However, it will be so worth it in the long run.If other tricks have been used against you and that I have left out, please feel free to comment.

This post was all about the most common cyberbullying tactics that cyberbullies use to help you to better protect yourself.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Signs of Gaslighting: The 7 Signs You Must Know

2. Setting Boundaries: 3 Powerful Practices to Hold Your Ground

3. Acceptance and Tolerance: 5 Best Ways to Know the Difference

4. Signs of Toxic People: 5 Tell-Tale Indicators

5. Conditioning: 5 Signs You’re Being Conditioned

When Cyber-Bullying Becomes Dangerous- Doxxing

Not long ago, I wrote a post entitled, “Cyber-Bullies, Stalkers, and Trolls.” In it I mentioned the importance of not letting faceless cowards get to you. I also mentioned that most of the above were a bunch of losers who were living in their mom’s basements and were bored and miserable with their existences and were to be laughed at or pitied.

And that’s most certainly true with most keyboard warriors. But!

What happens when online bullying goes too far? What happens when you encounter a more sinister troll- one who doxxes you and finds out your address, cellphone number, where you work, go to school, hang out- or, even scarier, who your family members are?

Then, it’s no laughing matter! This is a situation you must take seriously because things can get dangerous fast. If a troll doxxes you and finds out all this information, who’s to say the cyber-stalking bully won’t show up at your door and try to break in? Who’s to say the creep won’t go after your spouse and kids?

Anytime you have a doxxer on your tail, you’re dealing with a very vindictive, diabolical, and mentally disturbed individual(s) and you don’t know what the person is capable of!

In recent years, we’ve heard many, many stories of people being doxxed and creeps showing up on their doorsteps wanting to deal with them personally. Some people have had to go into hiding and a few have even had to go underground. It’s terrifying!

This is not paranoia; these are real and legitimate fears. And it’s plain to see that the law isn’t doing enough to protect innocent, law-abiding citizens when it comes to cyber-bullying and doxxing.

I believe the reason why people aren’t protected, and laws aren’t passed to crack down on trolling, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, and doxxing is because neither Big Tech nor the government takes it seriously, and may even condone the behavior.

Big Tech is too powerful. Also, many of our lawmakers, especially oones with an evil agenda, secretly encourage this kind of behavior. How else could they keep track of, instill fear in, and censor those who do not go along with their narratives and who don’t live their lives the way theu think they should?

So, why would they regulate their own minions and tools who’ve been working for them and risk Big Tech de-funding their causes and campaigns?

Sadly, I don’t expect any laws to be passed to protect private citizens against doxxing anytime soon. In fact, if certain wealthy people (like George Soros, for instance) actually hire people to cyber-bully, troll, and dox “dissenters,” it’s a given that nothing will be done to protect the innocent.

With that said, if you’re ever in a situation where you’ve been cyber-stalked and doxxed by a cyber-bully, you must do what you must do to protect your privacy (or what little of it we all have left). Be aware of your surroundings and if anyone approaches you or breaks into your home, do what you’ve got to do to stay safe!

Doxxing cyber bullying

You have a  God-given, primal, and Constitutional right to protect yourself and the people you love. Yeah! You know what I’m saying. If someone inters your home uninvited and has clear intentions to hurt you and your family, you know what to do!

I may get some heat from the PC “woke” crowd over this post, but I don’t care. When it comes to safety and protection of human lives, any feelings and opinions automatically take a back seat. Period. Full stop!

Because, if some creep ever invades my house and it comes down to the lives of myself and my family, it’s no holds barred! I believe in the right to bear arms and to use them when the lives of you or your loved ones are threatened.

And I’d much rather be judged by twelve than carried by six- or worse, one of my family members get carried by six.

With knowledge comes empowerment!

Bullying is Patterned and Predictable

This is great news for targets and here’s why. Once you figure out the pattern, you become harder for bullies to bully. You are also able to better predict, with amazing accuracy, what your bullies will do next and after almost every given scenario.

For example, you instinctively know that once you report bullying, the bullying will escalate. You’ll also be able to recognize when the bullying becomes a pattern and you’ll begin saving any incendiary emails, messages, texts. You’ll begin taking screenshots of bullies’ comments on social media and you’ll begin documenting incidences in detail.

You will quietly gather your evidence, being sure to save everything, making multiple copies on multiple flash drives and keeping each of them in different locations.

Depending on the laws in your area, you will begin wearing discrete body cameras or keeping a digital audio recorder to get the bullying incidents recorded and making copies of those recordings as well.

You’ll also be able to stay one step ahead of your bullies by taking pictures of all completed work and making copies of important papers and receipts to keep in your CYA file at work or at school. You can make copies of your homework in case your bullies steal it to sabotage you and get you in trouble with school staff.

Again, bullying behavior and tactics are patterned and predictable. And the reason they are so is because they are both universal and timeless.

The behavior and tactics they use is nothing new. It’s the same worn-out crap that has been used since the beginning of time and the reason we haven’t wised up to it is because we’ve ignored it.

And when you ignore or overlook something, you don’t pay attention to it, and you aren’t observant of it. To see the pattern of bullying, you must be observant of it without paying attention to the bullies themselves.

Also, we haven’t considered bullying an important enough issue, and the reason we haven’t taken it seriously is because, for centuries, we considered a normal part of human behavior and were under the assumption that it happened to everybody, or it built character.

Yes, bullying is a dark part of human behavior, but so is murder, yet we don’t overlook it.

The best way to battle bullying is to teach targets confidence and how to recognize when normal teasing is beginning to morph into bullying. We must also teach them how to protect themselves from bullying and how to quietly expose bullying when it happens to them.

With knowledge comes empowerment!