Cyberbullying: what is it, how to fight it and what the victim's rights are
It is undeniable that the Internet has brought countless benefits to society in general. It facilitates communication, gives people a voice, guarantees the exercise of democracy, and, more recently, has become a platform for a series of activities essential to our daily lives — such as shopping and bank transactions. However, everything in this world has its downside. The popularization of the web has also brought out some of its worst negative aspects, and one of them is cyberbullying.
Before we talk about cyberbullying itself, it is crucial to explain what bullying is. Nobody knows for sure what the correct etymology and definitive origin of the term “bully” is, but the verb “to bully” was already being used in 1710. In short, bullying is the act of abusing, intimidating, or aggressively dominating another person, whether it is through the use of brute force or not. Intimidation, threats and harassment aimed at frightening are also considered forms of bullying.
Traditionally, this is usually done by children and adolescents against other individuals of the same age group. In addition, the school environment has always been the most favorable for these aggressions. However, with the advent of the internet, there was also the birth of cyberbullying, which is nothing more than the same offenses carried out in the digital environment (through emails, social networks, instant messengers, and so on).
A serious case
Cyberbullying has spread like a real plague across the web. Protected by apparent anonymity and the physical distance from their victim, aggressors feel even more empowered to engage in hate speech and harass other Internet users. This includes badgering them with repetitive messages, spreading false news about them, publicly defaming them, inciting others to commit physical violence, and so on. There are numerous ways in which digital bullying can take place.
At the end of 2019, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) carried out a study in 30 different countries and found that one in three young people suffers or has suffered cyberbullying in their lifetimes. Distance learning, which became the norm during the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV2), only helped to make this situation worse. After all, students were required to interact virtually 100% of the time, which made them easy targets of discrimination, prejudice, and other types of harassment.
Cyberbullying is a serious issue. In addition to the embarrassment and immediate fear, in the long run the victim can develop social phobia, depression, and other psychological disorders that may even trigger physical symptoms. Unfortunately, suicide cases caused by cyberbullying have become more frequent. In 2006, a teenager took her own life after receiving a series of offensive messages from a supposed “virtual boyfriend” who, in fact, was a 47-year-old woman.
What can be done?
In 2015, Brazil implemented the Program to Combat Systematic Intimidation (Law No. 13.183/2015), which requires educational institutions to take a stance and adopt appropriate attitudes to mitigate bullying — and cyberbullying — as soon as it is identified. However, victims often suffer in silence precisely out of fear that reprisals will increase or simply out of shame of being in such a situation. Needless to say, several cases end up going unaddressed.
It is important to emphasize that bullying and cyberbullying can be considered crimes against dignity, and these aggressions — physical, verbal, or emotional — can indeed be taken to court. There are also several NGOs that provide support to victims and family members who do not know how to deal with the problem. In any case, it is crucial that those responsible talk to children and teenagers, so that possible cases of cyberbullying can be identified and the necessary measures taken immediately.
