What is Cyber Bullying?
What is Cyber Bullying?
6 Answers By Expert Tutors
Diana A. answered 12/23/23
Special Education Teacher with strong Vocabulary teaching skills.
Cyberbullying or online bullying means bullying over electronic media. Cyberbullying is willful (done on purpose) and involves recurring or repeated harm inflicted through electronic text. Cyberbullying can be as simple as continuing to send emails to someone who has said that want not further contact with the sender. Cyberbullies may also include "put-downs" or hate-motivated speech. Cyberbullies may publicize the personal contact information of their victims. They may attempt to assume the identity of a victim to publish material in their name.
Doris H. answered 03/21/25
Experience Math Specialist: Helping Students to Improve Math Scores
What is cyber bullying?
Cyber bullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, intimidate or targeting other people.
Cyberbullying unwanted behavior normally takes place over digital devices such as: cell phones, computers and tablets.
The most common places where cyber bullying occur:
- Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Tik Tok.
- Text messaging: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Viber
Some examples of cyberbullying are:
- Posting embarrassing photos of the targeted victim
- Sending threats on online platforms
- Spreading rumors about the victim
- Impersonating someone and sending threating messages to the victim
Example of Law against Cyber Bullying:
2006 Code of Virginia
18.2-152.7:1. Harassment by Computer; Penalty.
If found guilty is a Class 1 Misdemeanor
Hope this information is helpful and stay strong.
Christal-Joy T. answered 02/12/25
Experienced Common Core Educator | Tutor & Academic Advisor
Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that takes place online or through digital devices like phones, computers, and tablets. It involves harassing, threatening, embarrassing, or harming someone using technology. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can happen 24/7, reach a wide audience, and be difficult to escape.
What Constitutes Cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying includes any repeated harmful behavior online. Some common forms are:
🔹 Harassment: Sending mean, threatening, or offensive messages repeatedly.
🔹 Doxxing: Sharing someone’s personal information (address, phone number, private photos, etc.) without consent.
🔹 Impersonation: Creating fake accounts to pretend to be someone else and spread rumors or hurt their reputation.
🔹 Exclusion: Deliberately leaving someone out of group chats, online games, or social media groups to make them feel isolated.
🔹 Spreading Rumors or False Information: Posting lies or humiliating content about someone to damage their reputation.
🔹 Cyberstalking: Repeatedly sending unwanted messages, threats, or tracking someone’s online activities to intimidate them.
🔹 Trolling: Deliberately provoking, mocking, or making offensive comments to upset someone.
🔹 Outing & Public Shaming: Sharing private messages, secrets, or embarrassing information about someone without their consent.
🔹 Catfishing: Pretending to be someone else online to manipulate or deceive another person.
Why is Cyberbullying Dangerous?
- It can damage mental health, leading to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
- It’s permanent—once something is posted online, it can spread rapidly and be difficult to erase.
- It follows the victim everywhere, unlike traditional bullying that may only occur at school or work.
How to Prevent or Handle Cyberbullying?
✅ Don’t engage with bullies—blocking and reporting is more effective.
✅ Save evidence (screenshots, messages) in case you need to report it.
✅ Report to platforms, schools, or authorities if threats or harassment escalate.
✅ Talk to a trusted adult, friend, or professional for support.
✅ Think before posting—avoid sharing personal information that could be misused.
I hope this makes sense and you found it to be helpful. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. Take care and good luck!
Dr. Christal-Joy Turner
Sasha G. answered 12/18/24
Undergraduate Majoring in Elementary Education & Classroom Experience
Hello! I'd be happy to answer this question in a short and concise way.
Cyberbullying is the use of digital platforms, such as social media, websites, or text messages, to harass, intimidate, or harm others. It can involve spreading false rumors, sending threatening messages, or posting hurtful content. The impact of cyberbullying can be emotional, psychological, and sometimes even physical, affecting the victim's well-being.
Hope this helped!
Judith S. answered 09/22/24
Number 1 on my elementary school Spelling bee in 4th grade!
Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that takes place over digital devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. It typically involves using social media, messaging platforms, or other online spaces to harass, threaten, or embarrass someone. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can happen at any time and place, since the internet allows for constant communication, making it difficult for the victim to escape the harmful behavior.
One of the most challenging aspects of cyberbullying is the anonymity it can offer. People who engage in cyberbullying can sometimes hide behind fake profiles or usernames, making it harder to identify and stop them. The harmful messages or images they spread can also be quickly shared with a wide audience, leading to a far-reaching impact on the victim’s reputation, self-esteem, and emotional well-being. This kind of bullying can involve spreading rumors, posting mean comments, sharing private information, or sending threatening messages.
The consequences of cyberbullying can be severe, affecting not only a person’s mental health but also their relationships and academic or professional performance. Victims of cyberbullying may experience feelings of isolation, anxiety, depression, and even fear for their safety. It’s important for individuals to be aware of the signs of cyberbullying and to seek help if they or someone they know is being targeted online. Schools, parents, and online platforms are increasingly taking steps to prevent cyberbullying and create a safer environment for everyone.
Henry S. answered 02/28/24
Multi-Cultural/Multi-National Tutor
Cyberbullying refers to the use of digital communication tools, such as social media, text messaging, email, or online forums, to harass, intimidate, or harm others. It involves the deliberate and repeated use of technology to target individuals or groups with hurtful, threatening, or humiliating messages or actions.
Examples of cyberbullying can include:
- Sending mean or threatening messages via email, text, or social media.
- Posting hurtful comments or rumors about someone on social media platforms.
- Sharing embarrassing or manipulated photos or videos of someone without their consent.
- Creating fake profiles or impersonating someone online to harass or deceive others.
- Excluding or ostracizing someone from online groups or communities.
- Spreading malicious gossip or rumors about someone through digital channels.
Cyberbullying can have serious consequences for victims, including emotional distress, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and in severe cases, even self-harm or suicide. It can also impact a person's social relationships, academic performance, and overall well-being. Therefore, it's essential to raise awareness about cyberbullying, educate individuals about responsible online behavior, and encourage bystanders to speak out against cyberbullying when they witness it.
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Brittany E.
Hello Asked, To know what "Cyber Bullying" is, we must first understand the breakdown of the words and to understand it in context. Let's first take a look at the word Cyber, As we know in today's society and world, the word loosely correlates to computers, information technology's or virtual communities. Next to better understand exactly what Cyber is, we use it in a sentence. EX: She enjoys learning about cyber safety to stay secure online. As we see, the above sentence informs us that the word "Cyber" is relating to the internet as we can back this up with the context given later in the sentence when its says the word "online". We can look at the word safety next to it and then infer that that "She" is learning about computer safety, virtual safety or some sort of information technology safety as we have learned what the word "Cyber" means from what was stated earlier. Next, let's look at the root word of bullying. 'Bully" is the root word. As we once again can infer from the world of today, Bully means to attack. However, If you couldn't've analyzed that by how society is today, we can take a much simpler approach. EX: A Bull is NOT by any means a friendly animal, Why you might ask ? Well given what we know, these animals typically charge or attack people or things. Let's see how this plays into context by looking at the next sentence below to better understand the word "Bullying". EX: He decided to befriend the new student rather than join in with the others who were trying to bully him. As we see, the above sentence informs us that the word "bully" is relating to being attacked in some sort of way. We can back this up with the context given earlier in the sentence when its says the word "to befriend the new student rather than join in with the others". We can infer that "He" would rather join the other new student then to join the students who were "attacking" him. Remember, as we learned earlier, a Bull usually charges or attacks people/things. Now that we know the meaning of both words, we can understand what it means to "Cyber Bully". As we see now, In short it means that someone is attacking or hurting someone else in either a virtual or in a computerized zone. In full understanding: Cyberbullying is like being attacked online, where someone uses digital tools to harm, threaten, or intimidate others. I hope this helped :)01/18/24