Is The Anonymity Of The Internet Creating Bullies?

This is a subject that is close to my heart for I have been bullied on the internet and know how ugly it can be. But my question is….does this hiding behind the monitor help create these bullies or are they already there?  School bullying has always been here it seems, but now that we have all this technology and people can do things without anyone knowing who they are, are the monsters coming out of the woodwork? There seems to be no age limit either on who is a bully and who is not.

Pappy Boyington said in his is novel about his life as a POW  that we all have it in us to be mean or cruel. That was a sobering thought for me but I think given the right circumstances, he is probably right. Most people just don’t get that way because there are not in a position of having too much power or whatever. I mean think about it, cops have lost control with prisoners that acted out so bad…when their adrenalin was pumping from chasing them or wrestling with them to subdue them, teachers have lost control of students who were out of control, parents have lost control with their own kids….it is there but I think extreme stress must bring it out or maybe having too much power.

So, what brings out the bullies online?  I think it is that they can do it anonymously and therefore don’t have to be held accountable for their actions. I would be willing to bet that many bullies would not act that way if it were a face to face confrontation. Many bullies were bullied before they became a bully and this is their way of seeking revenge. Some are under extreme stress and it is taken out on those on the internet. And some are just malicious people who want to hurt others.

We have all read of people who committed suicide after being bullied horrendously. Megan Taylor Meier is an example of what bullying does to someone. She killed herself after being harassed by the mother of a school mate of hers. A grown woman decides she is going to “mess with” this child and tell her how horrible she is. And the mother didn’t do it in her name. She created a fake account and pretended to be a boy who was around Megan’s age. Although what the woman did contributed to the death of Megan, there were no real laws on internet bullying to allow them to prosecute her. But, public opinion and their anger at what this mother did, caused them to have to close their business and move. The very thing that made it possible for this woman to bully Megan worked against them and people were able to find their address, phone numbers, etc and to let them know what they thought of this woman.

You can read the story here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_of_Megan_Meier

It is very scary all the information that is out there about us on the internet. People can find your address, your phone numbers, even where you work. That is what happened to me. Some people looked me up, found my home, my email and harassed me and bullied me. Since then, I have made it a point to go to every site I can find and remove my information.

I realize that Zuckerberg wants all of our info out there and says we should “trust” on Facebook. Of course, he does not want all His information out there. That is different. But I find that puts people at risk. Women who have been in abusive relationships can be tracked down, people can find other people’s work, homes, phone numbers, etc and bully them or even stalk them.

John Dean states on his column on cyber bullying the following:

“As with obscenity, most people know bullying when they see it, so I need not dwell on describing the name-calling; the vicious teasing; the spreading of gossip or rumors or outright falsehoods; the focusing of unwanted attention; and the revealing of private and personal information—that is, the many ways and means of bullying—for they are endless and easily recognized by the style and form of their delivery.“

Dean states that cyber bullies have the potential to harass and bully 24/7. That is a terrifying ordeal for the person being bullied. He goes on to say:

“In short, the cyberbully, like those found tweeting pseudonymously on Twitter, are uniquely disquieting, and deserving of more than a special loathing.  We need a solid set of techniques for dealing with their offensive and obnoxious behavior.”

You can read the column here:

http://verdict.justia.com/2011/12/16/cyberbullying-on-twitter-part-one

He plans on doing several columns on this so you might want to bookmark this site.

Please do not think that cyber bullying is something only kids do cause it is not. In the world of anonymous, there are many adults who will attack for no reason and harass and bully you. Below is the link to a page of a woman who was bullied and her story is horrific but emphasizes the need to keep your information private.

http://www.overcomebullying.org/cyberbullying.html

So, what should you to avoid cyber bullying and harassing?  Follow the steps on this link below, which are:

Do Not Respond to the Cyber Bully’s Attacks

This is the hardest thing to do cause you want to defend yourself but that is what they want you to do…to react.

Don’t Delete Information Related to the Cyber Bullying

also make screenshots of everything they have said and done.

Report the Cyber Bullying to ISP, Police, Schools and even FBI

While many ISP’s will act quickly, some won’t. Don’t expect Facebook to. Go on to the police…even the FBI if necessary but make sure you document and report.

You can read all the information on how to protect yourself here:

http://www.overcomebullying.org/cyber-bullying.html

And one more important thought. Stand up for those being bullied and help them. The more people against cyber bullying, the more they will get the message. And PLEASE…don’t put all your information on the internet. It is not a safe world out there, regardless of what Zuckerberg says about it when it comes to Facebook. There are malicious and mentally sick people out there on the internet who just wait for a chance to jump on someone and harass, threaten and bully.