Adult Bullying

 In Life, Technology


A man sitting at his computer desk with a hand pointing to the screen.

Bullying: We’re All Adults Here

Online hostility, harassment, also known as cyberbullying is alive and well in social media, and is directly affecting adults. According to a survey generates by Rad Campaign, Lincoln Park Strategies, and craigconnects, a whopping 25% of adult Americans have reported being a victim of online bullying or have known someone who was a victim. This can include rude messages, digitally altered images, publicly fighting online, hacking a victim’s accounts, publicly sharing secrets, and cyber stalking. All of the aforementioned scenarios are considered psychological abuse.

Online harassment occurs most frequently on Facebook, but online harassment occurs in a variety of places online. Sexual harassment is the number one type of offense with many victims stating that they just didn’t know how to respond to the offense. Victims often have lower sense of self-esteem, increased suicidal ideation, and emotions ranging from fear, embarrassment, or even depression.

Cyberbullying can potentially be more harmful because it is not easy to escape from it. If the incident appears in newsfeeds, it can be shared and revisited by the victim, as well. When the victim begins to avoid friends, family, or public activities it is time to seek additional help from counselors, employers, or law enforcement.

The best response is not to bite the bait that someone is trolling with. “Trolling†is someone who is purposefully disrupting online communities. If they receive no reaction from the attack, then they will move on. In the event the harasser is an acquaintance of the victim, then document everything. Keep track of all the harassing incidents. In this scenario, a victim can typically “block†the harasser on social media sites, and report the incident to your internet service provider. When the harassment becomes more aggressive with threats, then it has crossed the line to criminal intent. When in doubt, always contact law enforcement with your questions.

Being informed and knowing your rights is one of the best lines of defense in extinguishing an online threat. Many states have laws and/or policies to protect their citizens from online harassment. There are also many community groups that are now established to increase awareness to the issue. Adult cyberbullying can happen to anyone at any time. Educate yourself to eliminate it.

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