By community Correspondent Sophie Swithinbank Anti-Bullying Week 2009, 16th to 20th November, has targeted Cyberbullying, using the slogan, “Stay Safe in Cyberspace”. Technology has become more central to the lives of young people, as the world of computing advances. For some, this has been negative: they have become cyberbullies or victims of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is when a person is tormented, threatened or harassed by another using the Internet or mobile phones. Sometimes cyber bullying can hurt more than physical bullying, as it follows the victim right into their home, and onto their laptop or mobile.

Since Facebook has become such a significant part of young people’s home lives today, cyberbullying has become common. Cyberbullying on Facebook can be very subtle, when only the victim is aware of it, or very bold, when every Facebook user can see it, humiliating the victim. It can be something as apparently small as people repeatedly writing spiteful comments on photos to cyberbullies hacking on to the victim’s account and posting negative comments or lies about the victim.

Cyberbullies sound far scarier than they are in reality. The truth may be that they are cowards as they get the twisted satisfaction of making someone feel as low as possible and they barely lift a finger.

There are ways of dealing with the bullying. Stop, block and tell! You can delete your IM account, you must never give you password to anyone and Google yourself often to make sure no one is posting negative things on the Internet concerning you.