Cyberbullying can be worse than bullying in the school environment

Cyberbullying is the practice of intimidation, humiliation, vexatious exposure, persecution, slander, and defamation through virtual environments, such as social networks, email, and messaging applications. The highest incidence of cyberbullying cases occurs among adolescents, however, there is a considerable number of young adults who use this criminal practice.

What is cyberbullying?

The word cyberbullying is a combination of two words, cyber and bullying. Cyber ​​is a contraction of the word cybernetic, which, in Communication Theory, refers to what is connected to the information and communication network, more precisely, to the internet. The word bullying is formed from the word bully, which means bully, plus the suffix “ing”, which indicates continuity of the action exposed in a verb.

Cyberbullying can be worse than bullying in the school environment, as the victim cannot escape it. Bullying is a form of physical, verbal, and psychological aggression that is systematic and continuous, causing an individual or a group to systematically attack a victim based on their appearance or behavior, which in general does not fit the standard of normality established by the social group. 

Actions such as:

- Exposure of embarrassing photographs or montages;
- Disclosure of intimate photographs;
- Criticism of the physical appearance, opinion, and social behavior of individuals repeatedly. It is advisable to consult social media expert witness.
- Aggressors usually use false profiles (fakes), believing they are fully protected as to their real identity, or simply manifest themselves through the virtual environment for not having to face their victim in person.

Cyberbullying practices:

When vexatious or intimate images of a person are criminally released on the internet, they can become a victim of cyberbullying. In the context of cyberbullying, terms appear to name some practices, such as:

- Hater: Word that means one who hates. They are people who spread hate in the virtual environment, and attack other people with offenses and humiliation, in a systematic way.
- Sexting: Word originated from the words sex and texting (the act of exchanging text messages or chatting through virtual platforms).

Sexting consists of exchanging messages of a sexual nature, which may or may not contain nude images of the people involved. When there is this exchange of images, sexting can become dangerous, as it can be disseminated by the person who received the images, or hackers can invade the devices and disseminate the content. In that case, do not hesitate to consult sextortion expert witness.

- Revenge porn: This expression literally means pornographic revenge. It concerns the act of disseminating erotic and nude images of a person who sent them to another trusting their nature, but who disseminates them as a form of revenge and punishment.