Knowing The Risks: Cyberbullying, Cyberstalking, Trolling, Doxing
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.
Why Cyberbullying is Different
- Kids who are being cyberbullied are often bullied in person as well. Additionally, kids who are cyberbullied have a harder time getting away from the behavior.
- Cyberbullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and reach a kid even when he or she is alone. It can happen any time of the day or night.
- Cyberbullying messages and images can be posted anonymously and distributed quickly to a very wide audience. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to trace the source.
- Deleting inappropriate or harassing messages, texts, and pictures is extremely difficult after they have been posted or sent.
(click here to go to stopbullying.gov)
Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking has been defined as the use of technology, particularly the Internet, to harass someone. Common characteristics include false accusations, monitoring, threats, identity theft, and data destruction or manipulation.
The harassment can take on many forms, but the common denominator is that it’s unwanted, often obsessive, and usually illegal. Cyberstalkers use email, instant messages, phone calls, and other communication devices to stalk, whether it takes the form of sexual harassment, inappropriate contact, or just plain annoying attention to your life and your family’s activities.
(click here to go to the Norton website)
Trolling
Trolling is the art of deliberately, cleverly, and secretly pissing people off, usually via the internet, using dialogue. Trolling does not mean just making rude remarks: Shouting swear words at someone doesn’t count as trolling; it’s just flaming, and isn’t funny.
Trolling requires deceiving; any trolling that doesn’t involve deceiving someone isn’t trolling at all; it’s just stupid. As such, your victim must not know that you are trolling; if he does, you are an unsuccessful troll.
However, in recent times, the term has been used to signify everything from confrontation to bullying to stalking to other forms of online harassment.
(click here to the VICE website)
Doxing
Dox or Doxing or Doxxing is an internet-based practice of researching and broadcasting (leaking) private or personally identifiable information (such as names, address, phone numbers, photographs, relatives and much more) about an individual. The data is often pulled from social media websites, searching publicly available databases, hacking and social engineering, which is then released publicly against the person’s wishes.
Doxing may be performed out of general curiosity about a person or for the purpose of blackmailing or taking revenge by exposing their vital information. In the latter, the victim can have serious consequences on health, livelihood and relationship.
What You Can Do
- The Key message is give here is:- Don’t do Online, What you Wouldn’t Do face to face.
- Talk to your kids about cyberbullying, cyberstalking & trolling and other online issues regularly. Get them to empathize with the victim’s point of view.
- Have a sense of what they do online and in texts. Learn about the sites they like. Try out the devices they use.
- Most platforms enable users to block each other and report posts and users. Learn these functions on the platforms that your child uses.
- Tell your kids that as a responsible parent you may review their online communications if you think there is reason for concern. Installing parental control filtering software or monitoring programs are one option for monitoring your child’s online behavior, but do not rely solely on these tools.
- Keep telling your kids they should never provide any personal information about themselves online, no matter how safe they think it might be. Tell them never to indicate their real name, school, address, or even the city where they live. Phone numbers are not to be distributed online.
- If a stranger contacts them via any method, they need to let you know right away.
- Report the matter to Law-Enforcement.
