No no, I am not going into typical definitions created by stalwarts. Rather I would like my readers to understand in a very simple manner…….. This is actually filthy verbal fights by a single individual or groups of individuals, targeting one or many, which is expressed in a written manner and posted either by emails, blogs or in the message boards , personal scrap books or even in the community walls. But remember, to get framed as “cyber bullying” , the online “fights” must be showing individual’s names, name callings and they must be with such *impact* that the targeted person feels irritated, embarrassed ,ashamed of himself and even traumatized. The bully some times even uses “smilies” showing teasing faces, grumpy faces or even angry faces to decorate his “speech”. Contrary to the old ideas , cyber bullying is done to the adult as well as young victims as well. Readers must be remembering the famous Bombay Scottish school kids who used internet perfectly to let teachers know that they are no more traditional docile students who would take strict disciplines like their fathers and forefathers. This was the shocking example of how kids use the technology to express their hidden anger. This happened couple of years back and now this has become a very common phenomena to use the emails, social sites and blogs to bully people. Using of harsh, teasing words , mocking at people and even inviting others to comment on one’s own ideas about the victim are all component parts of bully. As a researcher, I found most of the online bullying behavior starts with some sorts of discussions with heated debates. Then the angered person starts bombarding the victim with abusive words. If these people do not know each other “so well” but are just “group mates”, the bullying becomes confined only within the community wall and personal message board. How ever, in exceptional cases, the angered person has also taken the extreme step to humiliate his victim by mailing him personally with bullying words or even opening a separate blog to bully him in front of wider audience. Hugh……..man, you must know, by the time you are three or “posts” old, like minded people do not only hate your target, but even you are being projected as a hate monger. Many watch these online fights with great amusement. Those with mischievous plans, even start planning for bigger crimes like blackmailing the victim with informations that are being constantly published in the internet. I know an incidence where the bully first took part in discussions as to how to carry on social services by individuals (the “target” gave a little amount from her pocket money to a young boy who was an ailing patient of genetic disorders but wanted to carry on his studies), and finally decided to take the case as high as to the level of disproportionate wealth cases. Several people were supporting the HUMAN BEING who wanted to help the child ; some were of the opinion that such helps must be done through proper organizations. Ultimately it turned out to be an ugly verbal (written) exchange of words.
Isn’t it “funny” watching adults fighting like kids? While children are constantly told to not to use internet for fighting purpose, who will tie the bell to the grown ups?
