Information Technology Cloud: Cyber Bullying- Another Aspect of Breaking Internet Security

When you think of Internet security, you are probably thinking of protecting your personal and financial information. However, there are other types of internet security breeches. One type is
cyber bullying.

A phrase that is becoming more and more prevalent in the world wide web, cyber bullying can be very invasive and emotionally upsetting to children, teens, and even adults. It's difficult to control because in many cases the perpetrator is known but can not be proven. How? Because they will give just enough information to let their victim know who they are, but not enough information to actually be convicted of anything. They can do this by using pretend user names, fake pictures, and revealing very little information about themselves.

So what types of things happen with cyber bullying?

Threats- a lot of times, a cyber bully will make threats. These can be thinly veiled or outright vicious.

Harassment on victim's out website- another type of cyber bullying occurs when the bully posts negative material in abundance on the victim's own website. This can come in the form of negative comments, threats, and other types of general harassment.

Slander- if the bully has their own site (like a blog or a facebook or myspace page) theymight make slanderous comments about the victim. These can be falsities, such as claiming that the victim is cheating on their spouse/significant other, or they can be harmful truths that the general population doesn't need to need.

Accusations- a rare form of cyber bullying, but equally dangerous, is when the bully actually accuses the victim of doing the same thing that the bully is doing. An example would be this: the bully sends negative e-mails to the victim. Then, the bully gets on their own blog or website and writes about ow upset they are due tot he fact that the victim is sending THEM negative emails. In such cases, the bully might even receive sympathy and the victim is then harassed even more by people who feel sorry for the victim.

So why do things like this happen?

It is very difficult to know why. Anger, resentment, lack of self-esteem, or sometimes plain boredom can lead to cyber bullying. In addition, the anonymity of the internet makes it easier than every to bully someone. Still, cyber bullying can be emotionally devastating and can threaten your own emotional security. If it is happening to you, don't sit back and let it continue.