Having a good old chinwag and exchanging opinions in online discussions can be loads of fun, and firm friendships between like-minded people are often forged in this way.
Unfortunately, as in real life, there are some people out there who just aren't very nice. Learn to spot the tell-tale signs and find out the best way to deal with online pests.
Quick linksWhat are cyberbullies?What are trolls?What is flaming?How do I spot a cyberbully?What should I do?Cyberbullies are pretty nasty characters who take it upon themselves to stop other people from having fun in message boards and chat rooms. They will single out a particular member of a community and do their best to intimidate them, often trying to turn their online friends against them by spreading rumours and lies. It can be tricky to spot a cyberbully immediately, since they will often pose as a friend to begin with.
Trolls are a kind of cyberbully who lure unsuspecting victims into their trap by posting messages on controversial topics in an attempt to get people to respond negatively. Trolls will often pose as multiple users to stir up trouble. They do this either to give the impression that their 'opinions' are reflected by other users, and sometimes they do it to drum up sympathy and get genuine users to come to their aid.
All posts made in the presence of a troll are likely to come back to haunt whoever makes them, since trolls have a habit of getting people to say things they later regret, and then quoting them in subsequent arguments.
Bear in mind that, although the majority of trolls are essentially nasty people, sometimes people exhibit troll-like behaviour because of real-life problems they may be having.
Flaming is a word used to describe posting deliberately provocative messages that are intended to inflame people's anger and encourage them to argue with them and one another. A flamer's goal is to start a conflict between unsuspecting victims and then sit back and watch it escalate.
This kind of behaviour can be a particularly difficult and distressing nuisance to deal with, since the sole aim of a cyberbully is to cause misery in others. However, as in real life, these people feed on attention and, starved of this, will usually move on.
If you think that somebody is trying to bully you online, the most important thing you can do is to ignore them and encourage others to do the same. It's important to recognise this behaviour for what it is and try not to get drawn into an argument. If you see a post that angers you, it's always a good idea to take a breather and collect your thoughts before saying something you might regret.
How to spot a cyberbullySome behaviour to look out for:
- Implying they have knowledge of another poster from real life
- Insisting that other posters have agreed with them in private but that they have asked to remain anonymous
- Using emotional blackmail to lower other posters' self-esteem
- Successfully manipulating other posters' emotions
- Pursuing personal vendettas against those who attempt to expose them
- Excessively quoting facts and figures to back up their argument, whether relevant or not
- Quoting posts made by other users in the past to undermine that user's arguments
The golden rulesSome tips to help you deal with cyberbullies:
- Ignore. On the registered forums, you can choose to ignore any post from a particular user. Simply click the Options dropdown and select 'Ignore this author'. On the Soundbites comments boards, you should simply not reply to users that you suspect of flaming.
- Report. At Your Space, we understand how distressing cyberbullying can be. You should always report such behaviour to our moderators by clicking the 'Report violation' link. If you receive abusive email from a Virgin Media subscriber, please do not reply but forward it to community.team@virginmedia.co.uk. If you receive abusive email from another email provider, you can report this by contacting the provider (usually abuse@ or postmaster@ [domain name]).
More ways to report abuse
- Inform. Let other regulars in your community know that you suspect somebody of cyberbullying. The more you raise awareness, the less likely they are to succeed.
Perhaps more importantly than anything, please remember that
Your Space is about having fun. We realise that it can be difficult, but try to remember not to give bullies the satisfaction of getting to you by carrying on regardless. At the end of the day, it's only a message board!
