Cyber Bullying is a problem which is getting worse each year. In the latest report from Childline it showed that concerns about Online bullying rose by 87% in 2013 compared with 2011/2012. More than 30,000 young people were counseled by the charity with older children from 12-18 feeling more targeted online.
However its not just Children who feel the pressure of Online Abuse,there is also a large number of adults who bully and troll online.
The goal of an adult bully is to gain power over another person, and make himself or herself the dominant adult. They try to humiliate victims, and “show them who is boss.”
http://cyberguardiansonline.com/
This week at the age of 33 I found myself the victim of a Cyber Bullying Attack – you can read more in my case study below.
What Makes a Cyber Bully or Troll?
What makes a Cyber Bully or Internet Troll?
In A recent Article by Chris Mooney his headline was “Internet Trolls Really Are Horrible People”, his posts talks about a Psychology paper written by Erin Buckels to characterise the personality of who engages in Trolling.
In the study carried out by Buckels he identified Trolls in a number of ways, one was simply to ask via a poll on what people enjoyed doing most when online and related this in a Psychological manner to the personality traits of:
- Machiavellianism (willingness to manipulate and deceive others),
- Narcissism (egotism and self-obsession),
- Psychopathy (the lack of remorse and empathy)
- Sadism (pleasure in the suffering of others).
Chris Mooney


Cyber bullies are often motivated by anger, revenge or frustration. Sometimes they do it for entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands and too many tech toys available to them. Many do it for laughs or to get a reaction.
– Fred Hetner
Psychology Aside Cyber bullies can be typically categorised into the following types according to Fred Hetner in his article on the examiner.
The Vengeful Angel, the Power Hungry, the Mean Girls, and the Inadvertant Cyber Bully (or Because I can).
Fred Hetner – NY Law Enforcement Examiner
Vengeful Angel
A Vengful Angel is when someone is bullied and there friends react and then bully back.
Power Hungry bullies
They use Cyber bullying to try and embarrass, frighten or even tarnish more socially accepted peers.
Mean Girls
Normally the most immature who write information to gain attention.
The Inadvertant Cyber Bully
This happens when someone writes something without thinking about the possible consequences of their actions.
More Information About Cyber Bullying
Where does Cyber Bullying Occur?
Where does Cyber Bullying Occur?
In The Annual Cyber Bullying report from Ditch The Label (The focus is on 13-22 year olds) – It showed the use of cyber bullying in social media, with 54% of its users being Cyber Bullied on Facebook, 28% Twitter but all social networks it covered had at least 14% of young users feeling bullied which had repercussions such as:
- Self Esteem
- Social Life
- Optimimism
- Studies / Work
- Home Life
However Digital Harassment is not just restricted to Social Media according to Stomp Out Bullying it can happen across many other digital platforms such as:
- Instant Messaging Platforms
- Website and Forums
- Blogs
- Interactive Gaming
How Should You Deal With Cyber Bullying?
How should you deal with Cyber Bullying or Reputation Management
There is far more information about dealing with online trolls available for children and parents than other adults but the theory is still the same.
- Communication – If You feel you are a victim of Cyber Bullying the first step is to tell someone.
- Don’t React – Take a deep breath – Comments may be hurtful or simply a lie – An initial reaction can only exacerbate the situation.
- Document the evidence – Take screen shots of instant messages, posts etc. – They are often deleted.
- Know how to block people – Make sure you are aware of how to use social network properly.

For Help and Support with Cyber Bullying and Online Trolls you can contact one of the following Charities:
Credits: (Cyber Bullying References)
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26121199
- http://www.stompoutbullying.org/index.php/information-and-resources/parents-page/tip-sheet-how-understand-and-handle-cyberbullying/
- http://www.ditchthelabel.org/downloads/the-annual-cyberbullying-survey-2013.pdf
- http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2014/02/internet_troll_personality_study_machiavellianism_narcissism_psychopathy.html?utm_content=buffer15755&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
- http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/jan/09/cyberbullying-childline-statistics-online-bullying
- http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2014/02/internet_troll_personality_study_machiavellianism_narcissism_psychopathy.html?utm_content=buffer15755&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886914000324
- http://cyberguardiansonline.com/2013/11/04/cyber-bullying-not-just-a-teenage-issue/
- http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/dealing-with-bullying.html
- http://www.examiner.com/article/what-makes-a-cyber-bully
Well managed Neil 🙂