Safeguarding

Cyberbullying is any form of bullying which takes place online or through smartphones and tablets. Social networking sites, messaging apps, gaming sites and chat rooms such as Facebook, XBox Live, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and other chat rooms can be great fun and a positive experience. But what do you do when things go wrong?

Cyber bullying is rife on the internet and most young people will experience it or see it at some time. In our recent national bullying survey, 56% of young people said they have seen others be bullied online and 42% have felt unsafe online. Cyber bullying can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it can go viral very fast.

There are many ways of bullying someone online and for some it can take shape in more ways than one. Some of the types of cyber bullying are:

• Harassment – This is the act of sending offensive, rude, and insulting messages and being abusive. Nasty or humiliating comments on posts, photos and in chat rooms. Being explicitly offensive on gaming sites.
• Denigration – This is when someone may send information about another person that is fake, damaging and untrue. Sharing photos of someone for the purpose to ridicule, spreading fake rumours and gossip. This can be on any site online or on apps. We even hear about people altering photos of others and posting in online for the purpose of bullying.
• Flaming – This is when someone is purposely using really extreme and offensive language and getting into online arguments and fights. They do this to cause reactions and enjoy the fact it causes someone to get distressed.
• Impersonation – This is when someone will hack into someone’s email or social networking account and use the person’s online identity to send or post vicious or embarrassing material to/about others. The making up of fake profiles on social network sites, apps and online are common place and it can be really difficult to get them closed down.
• Outing and Trickery – This is when someone may share personal information about another or trick someone into revealing secrets and forward it to others. They may also do this with private images and videos too.
• Cyber Stalking – This is the act of repeatedly sending messages that include threats of harm, harassment, intimidating messages, or engaging in other online activities that make a person afraid for his or her safety. The actions may be illegal too depending on what they are doing.
• Exclusion – This is when others intentionally leave someone out of a group such as group messages, online apps, gaming sites and other online engagement. This is also a form of social bullying and a very common.

For more information, please see:

Bullying UK: http://www.bullying.co.uk/

Kidscape: www.kidscape.org.uk

StopSpeakSupport: www.stopspeaksupport.com/

The Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) is trying to raise awareness of loan sharking and the help that’s available to victims through the IMLT and to encourage loan shark victims to come forward and report what’s happening.

Please visit the links below to watch real-life stories of victims who’ve had their lives turned upside down because of a loan shark.

• Danao’s Story
• Jay’s Story
• Matthew’s Story

To report a loan shark, telephone: 0300 555 2222.

• The IMLT hotline is monitored by an IMLT officer 24/7.

The IMLT are hosted by Birmingham City Council Place Directorate.