If you are being cyberbullied, here’s how you can stop it:
- Ignore the person. Going on about your business can discourage the bullies.
- Log-off if the harassment is bothering you.
- Block or delete the person. Instant Messagers, social networking sites, chat rooms, and some other places online that require usernames allow users to block specific usernames or delete them from your buddy list. You can also block emails that are being received from specific email addresses.
- Change your information. If someone has hacked into your profile, change your password. If someone repeatedly sends you messages (like “add me to your buddy list” over and over), consider changing your username or email address.
- If someone creates a profile pretending to be you, you can contact the company who runs the site to have the profile or comments posted as you removed.
- If you are feeling upset, talk to someone you trust. You don’t need to feel like you are alone.
When to talk to adults:
When cyberbullying gets out of hand, talking to an adult about what is going on can be very helpful. If you feel scared or overwhelmed, maybe even trapped, it’s definitely time to talk to an adult.
If you don’t feel comfortable speaking with a parent, seek out other adults whom you feel more comfortable with, like a teacher, coach, school counselor, a youth group leader, or other adult family member such as an aunt or uncle.