[:en]Cyberbullying is deliberately and repeatedly harming or harassing someone using electronic technology  – this includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets, as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. 

With the increased use of communication technology, cyberbullying has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers. While the term cyberbullying is used predominantly for children or teenagers, cyberstalking or cyberharassment is when the same behaviour occurs in adults. 

What is cyberbullying or -stalking?

The main goal of this harassment is to threaten a person’s reputation, employment, earnings, safety or try to turn people against them. Cyberbullies aim to intimidate, hurt, control, manipulate, humiliate or falsely discredit someone. Their actions are deliberate, hostile, usually repeated and intended to harm.

Cyberstalkers use public forums, social media or online information sites to launch their attacks on. Online platforms provide anonymity and bullies can remain ignorant of the consequences their attacks have on the victims. According to the National Council on Crime Prevention’s survey, 81% of teenagers thought others cyberbully because it’s funny. 

Cyberbullying can come in various forms. It can be someone repeatedly sending e-mails or text messages even when the person clearly stated they don’t want them. It can include repeated threats, sexual remarks, hate speech, false accusations or ridiculing someone.

Some bullies/stalkers will even go so far as to hacking into a site and changing information or posting false statements to humiliate or discredit a person. They may also publicise a victim’s personal data or create a fake account to use to defame, discredit or humiliate them.

The 8 most common cyberbullying tactics used by teens according to www.wikipedia.org are the following:

1. Exclusion: Teenagers intentionally exclude others from an online group.
2. Cyberstalking: Teens will harass others by constantly sending emails, messages, or tagging others in posts they don’t want to be tagged in.
3. Gossip: Post or send cruel messages that damage another’s reputation, relationships, or confidence.
4. Outing/Trickery: Trick another teen into revealing secrets or embarrassing information which the cyberbully will then share online.
5. Harassment: Post or send offensive, insulting, and mean messages repeatedly.
6. Impersonation: Create fake accounts to exploit another teen’s trust. They may also hack into an account and post or send messages that are damaging to the person’s reputation or relationships.
7. Cyber Threats: Threaten or imply violent behaviour toward others to make them feel uncomfortable.
8. Flaming: Fights online that involve hateful or offensive messages that may be posted on various websites, forums, or blogs.

More definitions of cyberbullying can be found on The Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention’s website.

Who are the bullies?

The root of cyberbullying is the same as face-to-face bullying. The only difference is the convenience and anonymity of technology which makes it even easier.

Usually, a bully will know their victim and attack them because of their own prejudice, whether it’s race, religion or sexual orientation. Or merely because they’re “not cool” or they didn’t like something they said on social media. 

It’s important to keep in mind that, in general, a bully’s behaviour stems from their own problems or issues. According to Stopbullying.gov, there are two main groups who harass others. Popular kids or teens bully because they think it will make them more popular or hurting others give them a false perception of power. At the other end of the spectrum are those who bully because they are victims of bullying themselves and it’s their way to lash out. 

How to beat cyberbullying or cyberstalking

In most countries, cyberstalking has the same consequences as physical stalking. South Africa does not have specific legislation dealing with cyberbullying. The victims of cyberbullying, therefore, have to rely on criminal law and/or civil law. More information on these laws can be found on The Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention’s website.

For this reason, it’s important to deal with cyberbullying as soon as it rears its head. The video below provides some valuable hints in this regard.

[SOURCES: http://www.bullying.co.uk/cyberbullying/, http://www.deletecyberbullying.org/why-do-people-cyberbully/, http://www.cyberbullying.org.za/south-african-law.html]

[:af]Kuberafknouery (cyberbullying) kan gedefinieer word as ʼn opsetlike en aanhoudende poging om iemand leed aan te doen of te teister deur middel van elektroniese tegnologie. Dit sluit toestelle en toerusting soos selfone, rekenaars en tablette in, sowel as kommunikasiemiddele soos sosiale media webwerwe, teksboodskappe, kletsprogramme en webwerwe.

Kuberafknouery, veral onder tieners, het toegeneem met die dienooreenkomstige toename in gebruik van tegnologie. Terwyl kuberafknouery gebruik word vir kinders en tieners, is die term vir dieselfde optrede by volwassenes kuberagtervolging (cyberstalking) of kuberteistering (cyberharassment)

Wat is kuberafknouery of -teistering?

Teistering se hoofdoel is om iemand se reputasie, veiligheid, werk of inkomste skade aan te doen of om ander mense teen hom/haar te laat draai. Die kuberafknouer wil die slagoffer intimideer, seermaak, beheer, manipuleer, verkleineer of valslik diskrediteer. Hulle aksies is herhalend, opsetlik, vyandig en bedoel om skade aan te doen.

Kuberboelies gebruik openbare forums, sosiale media of aanlyn inligtingswebwerwe. Aanlyn platforms gee aan boelies die mantel van anonimiteit en sodoende kan hulle maklik die gevolge van hul aksies verontagsaam, vermy of ignoreer.  Volgens ʼn Amerikaanse opname deur die National Council on Crime Prevention glo 81% van tieners dat kuberafknouery plaasvind omdat dit grappig is. A.g.v. die anonimiteit sien of besef die afknouers nooit die skade wat hulle aanrig nie. 

Kuberafknouery kom in verskeie vorme voor. Dit kan iemand wees wat aanhoudend ongevraagde e-posse of teksboodskappe aan iemand stuur. Dit kan ook herhaalde dreigemente, seksuele opmerkings, haatspraak, valse beskuldigings of spottery wees. 

Sommige teisteraars sal selfs so ver gaan as om by ʼn webwerf in te breek en iemand se inligting te verander of vals stellings te plaas. Hulle kan ook die persoon se persoonlike inligting plaas of ʼn vals rekening skep om die persoon te verneder of in die skande te bring.

Volgens www.wikipedia.org  is die 8 algemeenste kuberafknou-taktieke wat tieners gebruik die volgende:

1. Uitsluiting: Tieners sluit opsetlik ander tieners uit van ʼn aanlyngroep.
2. Kuberafknouing: Tieners kan ander onophoudelik lastig val deur e-posse of boodskappe te stuur of ander in fotos te merk waarin hulle nie gemerk wil wees nie.
3. Skinderpraatjies: Plaas of stuur onnodige wrede boodskappe wat iemand se reputasie, verhoudings of selfvertroue leed aan kan doen.  
4. Blootstelling/Bedrieëry: Oortuig ander tieners om geheime of inligting wat hulle in die verleentheid kan bring te onthul en die inligting dan aanlyn met ander te deel. 
5. Teistering: Plaas of stuur aanhoudend beledigende, aanvallende en gemene boodskappe.
6. Nabootsing: Skep vervalsde rekening om ʼn ander tiener se vertroue te wen. Hulle kan ook by rekeninge inbreek en as die rekeningeienaar boodskappe plaas of stuur wat skade aan die persoon se reputasie en verhoudings kan veroorsaak.
7. Kuberdreigemente: Dreig of insinueer gewelddadige optrede teenoor ander om hulle ongemaklik te laat voel.
8. Vlampos: Aanlyn argumente wat uit hatige en aanvallende boodskappe bestaan en op verskeie webwerwe, forums en blogs geplaas word.

Verdere definisies van kuberafknouery kan gekry word op die plaaslike Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention se webwerf.

Wie is die afknouers?

Die rede vir kuberafknouery is dieselfde as fisiese afknouery. Die enigste verskil is dat die anonimiteit en gerief van tegnologie dit selfs nog makliker maak. 

Iemand wat afknou ken gewoonlik sy teiken en val hulle aan as gevolg van sy eie vooroordele – of dit ras, geloof of seksuele oriëntasie is. Dit kan ook net wees omdat hy dink iemand is nie “cool” genoeg nie of het iets op sosiale media gesê waarmee hy nie saamstem nie. 

Dis belangrik om in ag te neem dat ʼn afknouer se optrede gewoonlik voortspruit uit sy eie probleme of kwessies. Volgens Stopbullying.gov is daar hoofsaaklik twee hoofgroepe wat geneig is om ander te teister. Populêre kinders of tieners wat glo deur ander seer te maak sal hulle selfs meer populêr en invloedryk word en aan die ander spektrum diegene wat afknou omdat hulle self afgeknou word en ʼn uitlaatklep vir hulle frustrasie soek.

Hoe om kuberafknouery of -teistering te hanteer

In die meeste lande het kuberteistering dieselfde nagevolge as fisiese teistering. Suid-Afrika het nie spesifieke wette wat fokus op kuberteistering nie. Slagoffers moet hulle dus wend tot kriminele en/of siviele reg. Meer inligting oor die bestaande wette kan gevind word op die Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention se webwerf.

Gevolglik is dit belangrik om kuberafknouery te hanteer sodra dit kopuitsteek. Die video onder gee waardevolle inligting in dié verband. 

[BRONNE: http://www.bullying.co.uk/cyberbullying/, http://www.deletecyberbullying.org/why-do-people-cyberbully/, http://www.cyberbullying.org.za/south-african-law.html]