When Bullies Hit Facebook

It really is a shame that bullying is so prevalent online. When used properly, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are terrific ways to socialize and connect with people. But unfortuately, the safety blanket the internet too frequently encourages people to bully each other. Without direct or immediate repercussions cyberbullying is appealing to the offender, especially when they have a certain level of anonymity.

It’s good to know what behavior to look for when you are using Facebook. The following are just a few examples of the more common types of bullying that occur on the popular social network, and what you should do if you see or experience them.

Harassment

A major vehicle for communication on Facebook is the wall (or “timeline”). People can post on each other’s walls as a way to socialize, but sometimes people will use the timeline for harassment.

Nicolette Taylor was taunted on Facebook multiple times per week by bullies telling her that her nose was too big. People went on her Facebook page saying rude things, like, “Hey big nose.” It got to the point where Nicolette, at only 13-years-old, opted to get plastic surgery on her nose.

Her surgeon, Dr. Sam Rizk, said Nicolette was the youngest patient he had ever performed a rhinoplasty on. Most of his nose jobs are done on teenagers, who take bullying as a factor “quite frequently” in deciding to go under the knife.

If you are being harassed on your Facebook wall, you can block offenders from writing on it. Facebook has extensive privacy features that allows you to do this, and even remove your wall entirely. You may also report other users for harassment as well, especially when it violates Facebook terms and Community Standards.

Shaming

In February, you might have heard some stories on the news about online “shaming”, which involves the use of photos of teens with silly or crude captions. Some are harmless, but many of them are quite cruel and humiliating. This new form of cyberbullying is increasing on Facebook and hurting more and more teens every day.

15-year-old Alejandra Rodriguez was a victim of this new trend. Photos were extracted from her Facebook page and captioned with inappropriate language, implying that she is sexually promiscuous. This has caused people to treat her badly in person. “When I go out, people will look at me like, ‘She’s a slut. Hey boys don’t get with her… she’s been around.’” The constant cyberbullying has caused Alejandra to move to three different schools, get into fights with classmates, and undergo professional counseling.

Alejandra isn’t the only victim. On Facebook, there are half a dozen “Utah” memes pages where kids are featured as promiscuous, cheaters, drug addicts, and homosexuals.

The best thing to do if you are the victim of shaming is to report the user to Facebook, as shaming violates their terms and Community Standards. Ask friends and family to report them as well.

Public Humiliation

Similar to shaming, sometimes people will find out personal information or property, such as a photo or video, and publish it to the internet to humiliate someone.

15-year-old Kenyatta Parker was pretty and intelligent, but that didn’t stop classmates from posting cruel messages on her Facebook page. The anguish she felt from the slew of hurtful comments drew her to the edge, and she committed suicide in March of 2013.

Kenyatta had sent a video to someone of herself dancing, and the video was published online. This prompted the slew of negative messages on her Facebook page. She shared some of them in her suicide note. One person said she was ugly. Another said she was too “dark”. People called her a “ho” and a “bust down”.

After her death, people were still leaving mean posts on Kenyatta’s Facebook wall, taunting her for the video. Her mother eventually signed onto her account and asked people to stop leaving nasty messages.

The best way to avoid this situation is to keep personal information completely to yourself or trustworthy family members. Avoid taking photos and videos that you would not want anyone to see. But if it’s too late, you can still report the incident to Facebook and ask that the material be removed from the site.

Other Types of Cyberbullying on Social Networks

Impersonation: Breaking into someone’s account and sending messages that cause humiliation or damage to the account holder’s reputation and affects their relationships with others.

Gossip: Posting or sending cruel gossip to damage a person’s reputation or relationships.

Exclusion: Purposely leaving someone out of an online group.

Threats: Intimidating messages that imply violent behavior.

Social Media Bullying Statistics

75% of teens use Facebook.

The average teen has 201 Facebook friends.

29% of teens on Facebook have posted mean info, embarassing photos or spread rumors about someone.

24% of teens on Facebook have had private or embarrassing info made public without their permission.

1 million children were harassed, threatened or subjected to other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook between 2010 and 2011 (Consumer Reports, 2011).

95% of social media-using teens who have witnessed cruel behavior on social networking sites say they have seen others ignoring the mean behavior (Pew Internet Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011).

66% of teens who witness online cruelty also witness others joining; 21% join in on the harassment (Pew Internet Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011).

90% of social media-using teens who have witnessed online cruelty say they have ignored mean behavior on social media (Pew Internet Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011).

What should I do if I am bullied or witness bullying on Facebook?

According to Facebook’s Help files on bullying, you can report incidents of bullying to Facebook. All reports are anonymous. Whenever something is reported to Facebook, they will review it and remove anything that violates the site’s Community Standards or Facebook Terms. They will not share any information about you to the offender.

You should also block any offenders so they cannot bother you anymore on Facebook. They will not be notified when you block them. If the person is still being abusive after you block them, ask a friend or family member to report them for you.

You should also notify someone you know who is trustworthy, like a parent or teacher.