Cyberbullying

 

Cyberbullying

What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones. It is repeated behavior, aimed at scaring, angering or shaming those who are targeted. Examples include:

•         spreading lies about or posting embarrassing photos of someone on social media
•          sending hurtful messages or threats via messaging platforms
•          impersonating someone and sending mean messages to others on their behalf. 

Face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying can often happen alongside each other. But cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint – a record that can prove useful and provide evidence to help stop the abuse.

What Are the Consequences of Cyberbullying?

Sometimes, online bullying, like other kinds of bullying, can lead to serious long-lasting problems. The stress of being in a constant state of upset or fear can lead to problems with mood, energy level, sleep, and appetite. It also can make someone feel jumpy, anxious, or sad. If someone is already depressed or anxious, cyberbullying can make things much worse.

It's not just the person being bullied who gets hurt. The punishment for cyberbullies can be serious. More and more schools and after-school programs are creating systems to respond to cyberbullying. Schools may dismiss bullies from sports teams or suspend them from school. Some types of cyberbullying may violate school codes or even break anti-discrimination or sexual harassment laws. So a bully may face serious legal trouble.

 

Cyberbullying is not something that parents or their teenager have made up. It’s more common than you may think. And for many teenagers, young adults, and social media users, it poses a very real threat.

Examples of Cyberbullying

As technology has developed over the last twenty years, cyberbullying has become an increasingly larger issue. The immense popularity of smartphones, various instant messaging apps, and the rise of social media have opened up an ever-growing number of ways for cyberbullies to hurt their targets.

• Harassment
• Cyberstalking
• Exclusion
• Outing
• Masquerading
• Fraping

In addition, all these different kinds of cyberbullying may take place on different devices, social media websites, forums, text messages, or mobile apps. Someone may not even realize they are bullying someone, or even that they are being bullied. 

Cyberbullying laws in India

To have an understanding of cyber law in India it is necessary to what is the meaning of bullying and what is cyberbullying in India. 

Bullying means inflicting physical or physiological pain and hurt in a systematic way to distress the victim which are mostly students and employees. And when the bullying is done online it is known as anti-bullying or cyberbullying.  Cyberbullying in the office by the colleagues also comes under the harassment at the workplace in India. With the popularity of the internet in the youth, it is mostly teens who are the perpetrators as well as the victims of anti-bullying or cyberbullying and thus school bullying is very common. 

There is no specific legislation that provides for the specific cyberbullying laws in India however provisions such as Section 67 of the Information Technology Act deals with cyberbullying in a way. Section 67 of the act prescribes punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form for a term which may extend to five years and also with fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees.

Other than Section 67 of the IT Act following are the provisions of the cyberbullying laws in India:

•          Section 507  IPC -  The section states that if anyone receives criminal intimidation by way of an anonymous communication then the person giving threats shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years. By virtue of word anonymous the offense of anti-bullying and cyberbullying is included in this section.
•          Section 66 E of IT Act - The section prescribes punishment for violation of privacy. The section states that any person who intentionally violates the privacy by transmitting, capturing or publishing private pictures of others shall be punished with up to three years’ imprisonment or fine up to three lakhs.

To protect yourself from cyber criminals, consult the top cybercrime lawyers and file cybercrime complaint.

Raise your voice and lets overcome Cyberbullying before it’s too late.