im currently having a few problems over social media.
recently a girl i know made an account on a website with the same username as me straight after me, so i asked why she copied it. she then got defensive and got all of her friends to message me being horrible and now im being added to group chats left right and centre with people threatening to kill me and my family and raid our home. I feel so unsafe and anxious.
Sam
Hi there
Online bullying can be hard to cope with for different reasons. Some people can act differently online than they would in person. This might mean they say and do things that are hurtful. It's also difficult to escape from bullying when it's following you online and it can sometimes feel like there’s no way to get away from it. Dealing with cyberbullying might mean you need to block or report people, but you can get help with this if you need it.
I spoke to Charlie from The Diana Award about how to stop online bullying. Charlie said, "The online world can be a good way to talk to friends but cyberbullying is a huge issue that young people face. There are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and remove such negativity from your life both online and offline.
“Most social media platforms allow you to block any comments and report and block profiles that are sending you negative messages. When you block someone, it means they can’t see anything you post and you can’t see their profile, comments or messages. This is a simple way to take yourself out of the situation. If you’re being added into group chats that you don’t want to be in, block the numbers which are adding you and exit all the groups. It can be hard but try not to get involved in the chats. Take screenshots of any hurtful messages instead.
“If you’re being threatened with violence, either online or offline, you can take this to the police. Make sure you screenshot everything said to you before blocking anyone as you might need this as proof and to show what’s happening. If you feel unsafe it’s good to tell someone. Make sure you take these to an adult you trust and let them know what’s been going on. The most important thing is to not suffer in silence."
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
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