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Cyberbullying

A raincloud above a sad face.This is a growing Internet safety issue. Cyberbullying is similar to physical bullying with the difference being that Internet services are used to carry out the attacks. Services such as e-mail, chat rooms, discussion forums and instant messaging can all be used in this type of bullying.

Cyberbullying can only take place if both parties involved are minors. If there is an adult involved the problem is referred to as Cyber Harassment.

In some instances, hate websites against individuals have been created. These personal hate sites are smaller versions of web sites that purposefully promote bigotry, racism and many other intolerant viewpoints.

Cyberbullying is a criminal offence and is punishable by law.

Click on the following links to read more about Cyberbullying:

Wikipedia

Bebo

Stop Cyber Bullying

The rise in popularity of mobile phones has opened another door for bullies to use the short messaging service (SMS) to issue threats and other unwelcome messages.

A related problem involves the filming of assaults by mobile phone. This is often known as happy slapping.

Next: Tackling Cyberbulling