What Is Cyber Bullying?

Cyber bullying is defined as:
threats or other offensive behavior sent online to a victim or sent or posted online about the victim for others to see. (Wolak, Mitchell, Finkelhor et al., 2006).

• It can take the form of a message on email or IM or a social networking site from someone who is threatening to hurt you or beat you up.
• It might be rumors posted on your profile or spread online for others to see.
• It might be the deletion of you on a friend’s “buddy list” to make you feel left out.
• It could be a profile made by someone pretending to be you.
• Or, someone hacking into your profile and writing comments pretending they’re from you.

In general, cyber bullying is bullying or harassing that happens online. Much of it is similar to what teenagers experience offline in schools, homes, or the community, but has the additional aspect of the Internet.

Cyber bullying occurs in many different places online
including instant messaging, social networking sites, email, and chat rooms. The most common place bullying occurs online is over instant messenger, but it also can occur via other new technologies such as text messaging and personal digital assistants (PDAs).