What to Do if Your Teenager Is Being Bullied Online: Antivirus Software

 

Online bullying has become all too common in the Internet age. For example, according to a 2017 Pew study, approximately 41% of Americans have personally experienced bullying online. The methods of abuse range from name-calling to harsher behaviours such as stalking. Also, two-thirds of Americans have witnessed inappropriate or offensive behaviour towards others online.

The most common victims of cyberbullying (bullying on the Internet) are children and adolescents. About half of them are bullied on the Internet, and more than half of the victims do not tell their parents about it.

Here are signs that your child may be bullied online:

He is too emotional or upset after using the Internet or smartphone

Secretive carefully hides his digital life

Leaving family, friends, apathy for everything

Avoids school or group activities

Tries to be invisible in the classroom

Changed mood, behaviour, sleep, or appetite

Less likely to use a computer or smartphone

Nervousness when receiving a message in a messenger, SMS or email

Avoids talking about his Internet use

Take your child seriously: try to talk to him and hear him.

Block the bully: If possible, try to block his accounts on all social networks.

Contact the school: it is possible that they already have a practice of combating school bullying on the Internet, and they can help you (perhaps the bully is your child's classmate).

Check the laws: check what rights you have to protect your child so that you can go to the police and court.

One of the problems that come up with online bullying incidents is subjectivity. The definition of online bullying can vary from person to person and from case to case. Below we will try to classify them and help you understand them.

 

Cyberstalking

Cyber ​​harassment is the act of using the Internet for systematic and repeated harassment, intimidation and threats. This can be done using email, social media, chats, instant messaging systems (messengers), or other online tools.

Is cyberstalking a crime?

Cyber ​​harassment is a crime in many countries and is subject to anti-harassment and libel laws.

How to report cyber harassment

If you have become a victim of cyber harassment, then you need to take several specific actions:

If you are a minor, please inform your parents or other adults you trust

Collect evidence of conversations/correspondence where you are trying to end the harassment.

Submit all evidence and documents to the police.

Change your email address and passwords to keep your information secure.

Block the bully on all social networks.

It is NOT recommended to meet this bully in person (only in the presence of the police).

Online impersonation

Impersonation is a situation where a person uses another person's name or identity without their permission with the intent to harm, deceive, intimidate or threaten. Impersonation is very common on the Internet in the form of fake social media accounts when the owner of such an account claims to be the person he claims to be.

Online impersonation has also become common in the form of phishing. Phishing schemes involve hackers who impersonate another person or business, sending an e-mail purportedly from them to obtain confidential information (for example, passwords). The number of phishing incidents increased by 65% ​​in 2018, and the average global damage to businesses that experienced phishing was $ 1.6 million.

Does online impersonation break the law?

Online impersonation can be seen as a violation of human rights. In the criminal law of many countries of the world, an offender can be prosecuted if his actions have seriously damaged the victim's reputation and caused material and moral damage.

How to prevent and report online impersonation

Use adequate privacy protection on your devices.

Report the impostor's account to the moderator of the social network (forum), its editor or the site administrator.

To prevent phishing schemes, use a secure network, delete any suspicious emails and send confidential information only in encrypted emails or in archives with a password.

If the violator's actions have damaged your reputation, then contact a lawyer who will help you defend your rights in court.

Catfishing

Catfishing is an online scam where someone creates a fictitious online identity on the Internet to establish a relationship with their victim. In the era of online dating, catfishing has become very common.

A well-known case of such an incident is Manty Theo, an American football star from the University of Notre Dame team, whose girlfriend allegedly died of leukaemia in the middle of the season, which received huge media attention. However, it was later revealed that she never existed, and her online identity was fake.

Is catfishing a crime?

Catfishing itself is not a crime, but it can lead to more serious consequences, for example, the victim can transfer money to this “dummy” online person. And this may already be a reason for contacting the police and the court.

How to recognize catfishing

Here are some signs that someone is catfishing:

Such a person is too good to be a reality (model, actor, some kind of glamorous profession).

The profile is new, incomplete, or in some way illogical.

Such a person is very active in a hurry to develop relationships (to quickly achieve his goal).

Such a person will not meet with you in person or will report various reasons for the impossibility of this.

Doxing

Doxing is a situation where someone's personal information is published on the Internet, urging other people to start harassing / insulting / mocking the victim. This personal information may include address, phone number, place of work, email address, logins, bank details, or information about the victim's family members.

An example of doxing is the Gamergate incident in 2014. Video game developer American programmer Zoe Quinn has been publicly accused of sleeping with reporters to get positive feedback on the game that she developed. Fans of the rival game attacked Zoey with daily Twitter threats and posting her address.

Is doxing a crime?

If the collection of information is carried out legally, for example, from public accounts on social networks, then doxing is not considered a crime. If a person broke the law to get this information (for example, hacked into an email account), then doxing is a crime. Also, if you can prove that the doxing attempt was carried out with the purpose of threat or harassment, then such actions will also be considered illegal.

How to prevent doxing

To prevent doxing, you need to take steps to ensure that your data and personal information is safe.

Look in search engines what information is available about you.

Make all your online profiles private (closed).

Just in case, delete your data from various data broker sites.

Use a VPN to secure your online connections.

Swatting

Swatting is an action that is the result of online bullying and doxing. If someone's personal information is published (for example, an address), then the offender can call the police and report a fictitious serious danger or incident that happened in the victim's place of residence. In this case, a police squad on duty or even special forces (in the USA it is called SWAT, hence the name of this type of threat), armed to the teeth, will arrive at the scene of this "incident." This situation can be very dangerous for the victim and her family members and can be used as a tactic to intimidate. There have been cases where victims have even died as a result of such a false call to the police.

Celebrities from the entertainment industry are often targeted for such violations, although gamers are the most common targets. Very often, users of platforms with streaming video games in the rush of the game can seriously swear to the point of hatred. Swatters can use the IP address to find their victim, with whom they had a strong fight on these sites.

Is swatting illegal?

Swatting is illegal. The consequences can lead to reimbursement of municipal expenses, the amount of which can vary in thousands and hundreds of thousands of rubles, and even imprisonment if the offender is found guilty by the court for providing deliberately false information, which led to damage and victims.

How to prevent and report swatting

Use a VPN to hide your IP address

Report the swatting to law enforcement

Trolling

Trolling is the act of someone posting unsolicited comments in an online community that are controversial or incidental (misplaced) to evoke certain emotions in the members of that online community. Such "trolls" are capable of causing quarrels or upsetting people by hiding behind their monitors.

There are many options for trolling, some of which are more harmful than others. For example, in "relative trolling," the troll acts as a fan or supporter and incites hostility in the form of constructive criticism. In another psychologically manipulative version of trolling called gaslighting, serial trolls present false information or create false narratives to make you question your memory, perception, sanity, or professional knowledge.

Dogpiling is also a common version of trolling in which a group of trolls work together using many different tactics to crush the victim. This cyber crowd asks questions, makes threats and insults to “clog” a person's social media account and discredit or humiliate him.

Is trolling a crime?

Trolling itself is most likely not a crime, but in special cases, it can lead to other criminal offences.

How to deal with trolling and prevent it?

Do not respond to trolling and do not provoke its development (trolls want this!).

Report trolling to the site or social network administrator.

Block the trolling person.

Document all cases of trolling if you decide to take any legal action.

Revenge porn

Unauthorized pornography or "revenge porn" is the act of distributing personal, explicit sexual images or videos without the person's permission. This is often done in retaliation and can cause serious mental harm and psychological trauma to the victim. "Porn revenge" can be carried out using text messages (SMS with a candid photo), if this photo is distributed among those to whom it was not intended.

Is revenge porn illegal?

Revenge porn is illegal and contrary to both civil and criminal law in many countries around the world. If the victim is under the age of 18, the perpetrator may also be charged with child pornography offences.

How to prevent and deal with revenge porn:

Do not submit your candid photos.

If the photo is published, then contact the administrator of the site (social network) to remove it.

Take appropriate legal action.

Online bullying can happen to anyone, but taking preventive online security measures will make it less likely to happen to you. Keep yourself safe and protect yourself from online "predators" by making your social media accounts closed (private), do not publish any confidential or important information about yourself and your family members, and use a VPN to protect your online communications.

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