Online Abuse

What is Online Abuse?

Online abuse is sending indirect messages from one person to another, sending hateful messages to another person and use of threats. This is also known as cyber-bullying. Online abuse is basically people doing certain things to disrespect people that they might not like, sending nudes and photo-shopping pictures and sharing them for the world to see.

How does this affect us?

As you age, everything that once affected you does not go away but your attitude and persona changes depending on the situation. In the end you can learn to dismiss becoming aware of the action of cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying doesn't always mean the person is trying to offend another in spite but it can come across like this even if it was seen as 'only' a joke, leaving an impact on individuals.

With using the internet it is validated that every person must 'Think before you post'.
Cyber-bullying can sometimes be traced, giving evidence to the action that has taken place. It is always important to keep evidence because then there is proof to the situation and it can be handled by someone more qualified such as police if it is that much of a threat to the person being disrespected. This is a good tool against people such as trolls (someone who makes abusive comments or messages unprovoked online), or anyone who has made a fake profile, as well as for people you may know.

We covered the idea of people having fake profiles, which we argued on the one hand can be used for protection, but on the other hand it can be used inappropriately and dangerously, by cat-fishing someone else (e.g. pretending you are that person or someone else, faking your age etc.).

How do we cope with cyber-bullying? 

Never ignore online abuse which is what some people tend to do, this does not help the situation but only makes it worse. Always tell somebody what is going on even if it is a parent/guardian/teacher or in some cases even the police, someone with higher authority to handle these things. Trolls can hurt you, without you having to know them so in this case always see yourself positively and not how people who know or don't know you perceive you. Sometimes the best way to prevent anymore contact is to change your phone number etc, getting rid of that phone can be important as you are also getting rid of memories held in that phone.

What is the law on Online Abuse?

We found out that you can be fined up to £5000 or even go to prison for up to 5 years for abusive behaviour online. This can include;
Cyberbullying- this covers a lot of things such as threats of violence, or making someone fear that you will be violent, posting an obscene article about someone,or racially or sexually harassing someone on social media or using a phone. Tagging someone in a photo with negative comments and even hacking into an account or cat-fishing can count.

Catfishing- this is setting up a fake profile of someone or pretending to be someone else. This is illegal as it considered fraud.

Stalking online- by harassing them constantly and causing them serious distress and fear of violence.

Sexting- is classed as online abuse, especially if the photo is sent to or of a person under 18 (which would mean it is an indecent image of a child under the law). Also if the image is sent out of revenge this is classed as abuse.


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