Youth’s Guide: How to Deal with Cyberbullying in Australia?

The majority of young Australians are facing the issue of cyberbullying. It is one of the potential concerns that are affecting their lives, lacking their confidence and leading to depression and other serious concerns. Cyberbullying happens when someone uses the internet, social media account, emails and messaging to threaten, harass and humiliate another person. This is similar to traditional bullying but more concerning and the scale is huge. Cyberbullies don’t need any authenticated digital account or face-to-face contact to humiliate others. Since the youngsters use social media platforms all the time, they get targeted easily and this can affect their real life. It is important to cope with the side effects and solve the issues as quickly as possible. You can also reach to the e-safety commissioner to report for cyberbullying. For more tips and tricks, keep on reading the article. Let’s Get Started

What are the aspects of Cyberbullying?

It is important to understand the different ways of cyberbullying so that you can tackle the issue making right decisions. This includes:

• Harassment: If a person sends threatening and offensive messages on a repetitive mode.
• Exclusion: Under this, a person intentionally excludes someone from online groups.
• Denigration: Spreading malicious or false information
• Impersonation: This means pretending to be someone else with the objective to harm their reputation.

You need to understand these behaviours and take actions accordingly.

How to Deal with Cyberbullying?

It is important to keep yourself confident enough and don’t lose hope. Here are some important steps that will help you deal with cyberbullying the most effective way:

1. Try to Avoid Responding to the Attacks

It is important for youths in Australia to understand that cyberbullies try to instigate for their own benefits. So, do not respond to their threat or abusive message. Engaging can trigger the worse situation and allow the bully to do more harm.  In fact, parents and carers should also understand young people so that they can help them in different scenarios.

2. Don’t Forget to Collect Evidence

Make sure you take screenshots of the cyberbullying, such as malicious posts, emails and messages. This will help you show evidence in front of e-safety commissioner and take legal actions against the bully. Also, record date and time of each incident for best outcomes.

3. Make the Most of “Block and Report” Feature

Are you bullied on social media platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook? Use the feature of block and report so that the app can register the complaint instantly. This feature lets to report malicious activities, fake accounts and behaviours with ease. Also, ensure you take care of your mental health and reduce the effect of these situations in your day-to-day life.

4. Change Your Privacy Settings

Ensure that your digital accounts and online profiles are private and not accessible for the general public. This restricts the bully’s activity and protects your account from threatening and other unethical practices. It is good to check your privacy settings on a regular basis for best outcomes.

5. Seek Professional Assistance

Whether you live in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane or any other part of the Country, it is good to reach out the reliable person if you are affected by cyberbullying. You can seek help from a professional psychologist and counselor in Australia that provide free support for young Australians.

Wrapping Up

Cyberbullying is a serious concern in Australia. This requires proactive approach to prevent the side effects among youths. With the help of this guide, you can cope with this situation and protect yourself from cyberbullying like activities.