#stopcyberbullyingday
“South African has the 2nd highest rate of cyberbullying in the world.”~According to the South African College of Applied Psychology.
17 June is world #stopcyberbullyingday. Join us as we march against cyberbullying. You can organize a superhero march in your area and spread the word via social media or you can join us in Port Elizabeth to create awareness of this worthy cause.
How can you stop cyberbullying in your digital community?
Studies have shown that the best way to stop a cyberbully is to remove his/her audience. If you are idly standing by whilst the cyberbullying is taking place, you form part of the bully’s audience. You are being a bystander. This fuels the cyberbullying to continue.
Upstanders are like superheroes. They stop the problem.
If you want to be an upstander you can do any or all of the following:
- Report the bully- Report the bully to the platform. All platforms have help centers where cyberbullying can be reported.
- Speak Out-Tell an adult what is happening. An adult can support you and get the victim help.
- Help the victim-By sending the victim a DM you can offer support. Something along the lines of: “Hey I saw what happened. It wasn’t cool. Are you okay?” can help the victim to feel empowered and less alone.
- Confront the bully- Say something like “Guys, let’s rather be kind.” If you oppose the bully, they lose their power and the victim gains power.
Hate speech, Racism and cruelty will always be part of life but by raising awareness we can reduce the prevalence of these issues in our digital communities and in turn, in South Africa.
