What is cyber bullying?

Cyber bullying occurs when a person or a group of people uses the internet, mobile phones, online games or any other kind of digital technology to threaten, tease, upset or humiliate someone else.

Cyber bullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cyber bullying can be done anonymously for example, they might set up fake accounts and hide their IP address or block their mobile number. If you know someone who is being cyber bullied remind them to keep a copy of any abusive texts, emails, comments or messages that they receive and record the date and time they were sent.

With cyber bullying there is always a trail and keeping records can be very useful when it comes to reporting the bullying, especially to the Police. Facebook and other social networking sites will work with the Police when they have evidence of such abuse happening through their pages. Whilst bullying is not specifically against the law, harassment or threatening behaviour is.

Findings from research conducted by UCS (University Campus Suffolk) in 2012 into the experiences of young people and vulnerable adults in relation to Cyberbullying and Cyberabuse, found that 19% of young people in Suffolk claim to have been cyberbullied. Read more here...