Cyber-bullying presents a major challenge in the age of information and it was the topic of a discussion hosted by The Women’s Center on Wednesday in University Hall.

Elahe Amani, the director of technology services for Student Affairs, was invited to speak in front of attendees relating to issues regarding cyber-bullying.

Amani defined cyber-bullying, a form of cyber-crime, as being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material or engaging in other forms of social aggression using the Internet and other technology. Because blogs and countless forms of social networks are so popular and growing globally, it is becoming more common to encounter some form of cyber-bullying.

Cyber-bullying takes on many different forms, according to Amani. There is “flaming,” which are online fights using aggressive language. Harassment is sending nasty, mean and insulting messages. Denigration is “dissing” someone online by sending or posting gossip and rumors. Impersonation is assuming the identity of someone to purposely damage the person’s reputation. “Outing” is sharing secrets to other people, while “trickery” involves talking someone into revealing secrets and then sharing them online.

Cyber-stalking is another form of cyber-crime and is defined as repeated harassment and denigration that creates significant fear, according to Amani. The motive is usually control.

As of 2006, there were 200,000 cyber crimes reported, Amani said. Through a series of PowerPoint slides, she showed statistics, which revealed that 52 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds have experienced cyber-stalking.

Cyber-bullying generally involves minors targeting other minors. According to http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html, “The methods used are limited only by the child’s imagination and access to technology.”

Amani stated that school administrations are acknowledging the problem and learning how to handle it. She stressed that education is the most important way to avoid forms of cyber-crimes.
“The more we’re educated, the better prepared we are to face the challenges and learn from them,” Amani said. “And as a responsible citizen, we should pass the information along to other people.”

Amani handed out sheets with ways to protect one’s safety online. One way is to keep primary e-mail addresses private and fill out as little information about oneself as possible when signing up for any accounts.

If there is a case of cyber-bullying happening, Amani stresses not to defend yourself. The handout states that while it is a normal response to want to be defensive, a reaction from you is precisely what the harasser wants. The stalker is fishing for someone to hook onto and harass.

“One thing I didn’t know before this discussion was that police and law enforcement encourage victims to avoid communication with the harasser,” Marissa Semas, a human communication major, said. However, Amani’s handout said that victims should make contact once to tell the harasser, “do not contact me in any way in the future,” according to Working to Halt On-line Abuse, an online resource for victims of cyber stalking.

Another stalking intervention is to save all forms of communications, according to Amani. She states that one should complain to the appropriate party. For instance, if it is happening via e-mail, one should notify the sender’s Internet service provider or e-mail service, according to Amani.

Octavia Gallard, a human services major, found the discussion informative.
“It was great because I found out things that I didn’t know about cyber-bullying,” said Gallard. “It’s going to help me within my major because it’s becoming more common.”