Cyberbullying

DrPhil · #1 10-06-2010, 08:51 AM

Is there already a thread about this?

I was reading some articles on cyberbullying (there are a few articles so I didn't link it). Of course there is a particular age demographic that is victimized by this.

And, despite the trash talking on GC, GC is not a cyberbullying site. However, if a GCer is (cyber)stalking you and looking for ways to bring your real life to GC and vice versa, the end of one of the MSN articles had resources for victims of cyberbullying:

1. Cyber Bullying Research Center
2. National Crime Prevention Council
3. Stop Cyber Bullying
4. Bully Stoppers
5. Adina's Deck

What say you, GCers, about cyber bullying?

Alumiyum · #2 10-06-2010, 09:22 AM

It should be prosecuted just as harshly as bullying/harassment offline...I just know that at this point it's so difficult at times to locate the perpetrator that that's not feasible. Depending on the kind of bullying/stalking it can be worse than a playground bully since what's written on the internet stays there.

DrPhil · #3 10-06-2010, 11:08 AM

Yeah there was one story where the girl was cyberbullied on a social networking site and OF COURSE the perpetrators could not be identified and found.

I have heard of some pretty lame things happening on GLO message boards. It's crazy the vindictive and stupid things that people think of.

knight_shadow · #4 10-06-2010, 11:52 AM

[ Probably in the minority on this one ]

I think offline bullying is serious, and cyberbullying/harrassment attached to "real life" (ex. FB, MS, GLO boards, etc) should be taken seriously.

If someone is a member of, say, GardeningForum.com, this person is free to close the browser and move on. When I see "bullying" claims on sites like that, I generally roll my eyes.

Alumiyum · #5 10-06-2010, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

[ Probably in the minority on this one ]

I think offline bullying is serious, and cyberbullying/harrassment attached to "real life" (ex. FB, MS, GLO boards, etc) should be taken seriously.

If someone is a member of, say, GardeningForum.com, this person is free to close the browser and move on. When I see "bullying" claims on sites like that, I generally roll my eyes.

IMO when it involves real life information, that's crossing a line. If Suzy on GardeningForum.com starts posting addresses/phone numbers/employers/etc. of Betty, that's a problem. If Suzy is just being a total bitch, Betty can always find something else to do for a few hours.

People don't forget that attaching something negative to someone's name can effect their future job offers, for instance. If Suzy makes a facebook page saying Betty is an STD ridden lady of the night, every time Betty's name is searched, that's what people see. That's a big deal. Then again, if more websites were proactive in enforcing their Terms (which almost always ban harassment of this kind) in most cases there wouldn't be a need to do anything but report Suzy and have her removed from the site, as well as the comments.

Alumiyum · #6 10-06-2010, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

LOL. I wouldn't say you're in the minority. People who claim GC bullying aren't using it in the sense that they are being harassed with lasting effects.

There have been GC bullies who have taken GC to real life and real life to GC. That's when you aren't just able to close the browser.

This ^. Not that I think it's ok to "bully" on a messageboard either, but that's a different animal from actual harassment. Just exchanging bitchy comments isn't a cause for concern, just an annoyance.

knight_shadow · #7 10-06-2010, 12:10 PM

^^^ Hence the "attached to real life" portion of my post.

The "OMG YOU AND YOUR MINIONS ARE HARRASSING ME BECAUSE YOU CALLED ME A BITCH" posts are bullshit, IMO. Posting someone's information or cyber-stalking him/her is not.

DrPhil · #8 10-06-2010, 12:33 PM

At the same time, I urge people who are mentally and emotionally impacted by the GC minions to use the ignore feature. I can't say what impacts people on a personal level. I would never tell people to stop coming to GC if they don't like some of the posters. I will say that GCers amuse themselves in various ways and GC is not that important as to let it have a potentially lasting mental and emotional impact on you.

/public service announcement

If you or anyone you know has a GC bully or is a GC bully, please contact the GC police at 1-800-FUK-OFFF. Thank you.

Alumiyum · #9 10-06-2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

At the same time, I urge people who are mentally and emotionally impacted by the GC minions to use the ignore feature. I can't say what impacts people on a personal level. I would never tell people to stop coming to GC if they don't like some of the posters. I will say that GCers amuse themselves in various ways and GC is not that important as to let it have a potentially lasting mental and emotional impact on you.

/public service announcement

If you or anyone you know has a GC bully or is a GC bully, please contact the GC police at 1-800-FUK-OFFF. Thank you.

If what someone says on an internet messageboard (not including harassment) has an impact on a poster's real life, they probably are too sensitive for message boards, period.

DrPhil · #10 10-06-2010, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

If what someone says on an internet messageboard (not including harassment) has an impact on a poster's real life, they probably are too sensitive for message boards, period.

See, the day that I'm trying to be understanding and accepting, you are being a hardass.

Alumiyum · #11 10-06-2010, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrPhil

See, the day that I'm trying to be understanding and accepting, you are being a hardass.

Yeah but I mean if I cry myself to sleep because someone is mean to me on the internet, lord help me in the "real world". At least here you just press the little red x in the top corner and it all goes away.

rhoyaltempest · #12 10-06-2010, 06:02 PM

I know one thing, the internet thuggery is out of control (not sure if that's the same as cyberbullying). You know the ones that have so much to say via the internet but would never have the guts to say such things to anyone's face. The internet is giving many cowards a voice that otherwise wouldn't be heard (especially racists and bigots).

Kevin · #13 10-06-2010, 06:15 PM

Some stuff on GC has gone over the limit. Most of us can think of several examples. The worst effects of cyberbullying don't seem to come about until the aggressee begins to retaliate strongly causing an escalation.

People are going to say shitty things on the internet. Don't say anything that'll get you in trouble if your anonymity is revealed and don't get offended when anonymous people on the internet say bad things about you. The rest'll work itself out.

I'm frankly surprised that we haven't seen a spat of libel/invasion of privacy/etc. lawsuits tied to cyberbullying in recent years.

KSUViolet06 · #14 10-06-2010, 06:29 PM

I have a lot of younger cousins who are in middle and high school.

One of them was recently removed from her high school cheer team due to being the perpetrator of online bullying.

She is a senior who was dating a senior football player. She was also really good friends with New Sophomore Cheerleader (just made the team in May of last school year).

Over the summer, Cousin and Football Player broke up. He starts spending time with New Sophomore. They decide to start dating.

Cousin of course freaks out and stops being friends with New Soph. Then school starts and they have to be aroud each other every day for cheer.

Cousin tells all the other Seniors what happened and they pretty much proceed to make cheer a living hell for her. Not in the "we're gonna punch you in the face" way. But in the "girl world" way. No one talks to her, offers to help her with cheer stuff, they don't sit by her at lunch.

New Soph tells the cheer coach, who reprimands Cousin. She also tells my aunt (Cousin's mom) and Cousin is grounded. That's when all the cyber harrassment starts.

Cousin wrote a forever long Tumblr blog about how New Soph is a skank, fat whore, etc. and sent it to her friends and they sent it to New Soph on FB.

Then they all post parts of the letter as their FB status like "Cheerleader is pretty sure that this one cheerleader is the biggest skank EVER. Ew." Not specifically calling her out but this girl knew exactly who they were talking about.

The Sophomore ended up nominated for Homecoming Court. Cousin and friends wrote mean stuff on her posters at school.

It got to be too much, she showed the FB stuff, the blog, everything to her mom, who showed the principal. The school has a zero tolerance policy on this stuff.

She got 3 days of in-school suspension, and since cheerleaders have to have a clean discipline record, she got removed from the cheer team.

This is all pretty crazy and I seriously didn't know all of this was going on because she tries to act all sweet and nice in front of me and her parents.

As appalling as this all is, I DO applaud my Aunt and Uncle for not fighting it. She cried and was all like "OMG but she is mean to me too!!! I didn't even DO anything." but they were pretty much like "too bad, you weren't crying when you were writing all this stuff.

Psi U MC Vito · #15 10-06-2010, 07:27 PM

One problem I see with cyber bullying in the legal sense, is who has jurisdiction over it? even if somebody knows who is bullying somebody, who does the punishing.