What Can You Do If You Are a Victim Of Cyberbullying as a College Student?

As students grow up with technology involved in every part of their lives, cyberbullying has become a common way to harass someone. Although usually viewed as a problem with younger children and teens, university-aged young adults also experience this serious problem. What can colleges do to help with cyberbullying? These schools must come up with new ways to stop bullies and protect the people at the receiving end of this type of harassment. However, a large portion of the responsibility for safety rests in the hands of the people being bullied themselves. This article will help you formulate an effective response if you are a victim of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying at the College Level

More and more students are being bullied online, with social media being the main culprit. With social media being so popular among college-age students, many have resorted to cyberbullying other classmates in order to gain popularity or notoriety. However, cyberbullying comes with numerous negative consequences for both the bully and the victim. If you find yourself attacked or harassed by a bully on the internet, there are some steps to take to protect yourself.

1 – Document and Report Cyberbullying

Everyone experiences an offhand mean comment online at one point or another, but when it turns into repeated bullying behavior or harassment, it becomes a crime in many cases. Record the messages or other activity you see or experience. Then, report it to appropriate authorities. This can include the social media site, gaming platform, college administration, and possibly the police if the bullying includes illegal activities like identity theft and threats of physical violence.

2 – Block, Ignore, and Avoid the Bullies

The popularity of social media accounts and other online communities makes it much easier for cyberbullies to gain access to victims. The moment someone posts publicly or sneaks into your DMs with harassing behavior, block them, ignore them, and protect yourself from as much future negativity as possible. Always do this in conjunction with reporting to the website or app administrators. They all have anti-bullying and security rules in place.

3 – Seek Out Support and Positive Communities

No one deserves to be cyberbullied or harassed in any way. Far too many believe that people bully online because they can hide behind anonymity. In reality, many of the most aggressive bullies are outgoing individuals who want to be noticed and praised for their words. The best way to counteract these experiences is to swamp the negativity with positivity instead. Find supportive communities on social media. There are some specifically designed for cyberbullying victims, but other options like hobby clubs can also work. Cling to your true friends and do your best to remove toxicity from your life.

With the increase in technology, cyberbullying has become a major problem with children and teenagers. More than 35% have reported experiencing this horrible thing, and a full 87% have seen it happen in chat programs, social media sites, and other online platforms. Cyberbullying has become an epidemic across the United States and the world, and it continues to affect people of all ages.