Online bullying

Did you know that in one study we conducted, 22.5% of respondents said they had felt unsafe or threatened on the net?

At NetSafe, we frequently hear your stories about being bullied or harassed online. It’s NOT something you just have to put up with! We all have a role to play in stopping online harassment.

Online harassment can happen when someone is:

• sending you messages that make you feel bad. These might be messages being mean to you, that make you feel unsafe, or any other type of messages that makes you feel gross.
• being mean about you online.
• sending you any sort of message that you don’t want.
• sending you lots of messages even though you have asked them to stop.
• pushing you for information or pictures that are sexual or that you are not happy about sharing.

Any message or conversation you have online that makes you feel gross or bad about yourself is not ok. You can always talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling, and a lot of times you can also report the abuse.

It's important to remember that you don't have to keep corresponding with someone who is threatening or being mean to you. If they have your contact details and are sending you messages that you don't want, they can be stopped. Talk to someone you trust about it, and click here to find out how to report it.

Take a moment and think about the impact of the messages you send as well. If you’d be put off by getting very suggestive, obscene or aggressive messages, other people might be too. Remember, words on the internet can have as much power as words face to face (sometimes more!) and can easily be misunderstood - so be careful how you say things. Even if you mean the messages to be a joke, such 'jokes' can have serious consequences for you as well as the person you send them to.

Remember, all of this info applies when you’re using your mobile as well. Click here for more info on text-bullying.