Cyber Bullying

• If you think you are being bullied, the first thing you should do is to ask for help from your parents, a close family member, or another adult you trust.

• At your school, you can contact a counselor, physical education teacher, or your favorite teacher.

• If you are uncomfortable talking to someone you know, contact a helpline in your country to speak to a professional counselor

• If the bullying incident is happening on a social platform, you can block that person and officially report their behavior to the platform itself. Social media companies have an obligation to keep their users safe.

• Gathering evidence (messages and screenshots of social media posts) can be helpful to establish what is going on.

• In order to stop bullying, incidents need to be detected and reporting is very important. Showing the bully that his behavior is unacceptable may also be helpful in this regard.

• If you are in imminent danger, contact the police or other emergency services in your country.

If you are being subjected to cyberbullying, one of the most important steps you can take is to bring up the issue with an adult you trust and feel comfortable talking to.

Talking to parents is not an easy task for everyone. Choose a time to talk when they can give you their full attention. Explain how serious the problem is from your perspective. Remember that they may not be as familiar with technology as you; so you may need to help them understand the situation.

They may not have a ready-made answer for you right away, but they will probably want to help and you can probably come up with a solution together. Mind is superior to reason! If you're still unsure about what to do, consider reaching out to other trusted people. The number of people who care about you and are willing to help is often greater than you think!