cyber harassment

Cyber harassment! Whoever listens to this word surely gets goosebumps. Basically it is online harassment particularly refers to stalking, threating, bullying by use of email, instant messaging, and derogatory websites to bully or otherwise harass an individual or group through personal attacks. Cyber harassment can be in the form of flames; comments made in chat rooms, sending of offensive or mean e-mail, or even harassing others by posting on blogs or social networking sites.

As technology is getting advanced, the social media is on fingertips to every individual. Even little children’s are on social site, Facebook, twitter, or YouTube. This new  electronic world have no red light, due to which new chapter open which is cyber harassment or we can directly say “indirect bullying”. It can be from any source and can happen to anyone but once it starts it has no end to it.

The latest New Zealand report has found that cyber bullying can lead to depression, self-harm and suicide among the teens and they are reportedly considering it as a criminal offence. Mostly teens become the victim of cyber pornography, stalking, gambling, email spoofing or password cracking. Online harassment s of two kinds DIRECT and INDIRECT harassment. Direct harassment is pretty common, it includes threatening someone for personal preferences, bullying them just take out their own frustration (psychological reasons) or intimidating message send directly to the receiver through email or other social networks and even hacking accounts whereas indirect harassment is the most dangerous one. The culprit not only hacks the victims account but also spread weird rumors, subscribe to unwanted or porn online sites or posting personal information and pictures on dating sites.

As Facebook, twitter, and twitter are the most popular social networks. About 85 % somehow came across the cyber bullying. Many people get fraud by fake pages or ids. Some are even bullied due to their racial or ethnic minorities or some are wronged with a proper plan to take revenge. Usually women’s are the prominent victim. Some of them face it but some of them has to de- activated their accounts and feel fear for personal safety and security making the life of the victim difficult.

Internet is not only for specific area, it connect s and exchange information all over the world. Your image, character, values can be ruined with someone’s wrong comment or intension. Due to which some of the people commit suicide after finding some of their personal pictures/information on unwanted sites. No one is really save from it , even the President of USA (Obama) also become the victim of cyber harassment. No one can really catch the harasser or charge against them.

But that was for president but celebrities suffer the most in it eithers he/she is an actor, model, singer or even a sportsman all become the victim of cyber bullying. If we look in Asia, cyber harassing is quite prominent in South Korea as it is one of the most wired countries. There is a list of high profilecelebrity’s suicide in South Korea due to the result of hateful messages posted on-line.  Pakistan is also facing such problem and many suicide cases were seen.

There should be a strict law and proper check and balance on social media. Right now the punishment is really rare and in few cases it is just that the harasser had to spend 3 weeks in jail and pay minor fee. Parent could play an important role in keeping on check on their child activities. We can counter bullies by flooding online forums with positive comment this ia already in practice and working effectively in South Korea(Sunfull Movement meaning ‘good reply”) and its neighboring countries.

We are the one that bullies and get bullied. If we realize our responsibility and see world with proactive attitude may be it could help someone else live peaceful in this cruel world.