Cyberbullying - And What the Community Can Do About It
Social media and messaging services are a great invention to stay in touch with friends or follow your favorite stars. But when the internet is used to harass others, it becomes cyberbullying.
Bullying is unfortunately something that has been part of our daily lives for a long time. Whether on the schoolyard, during sports class, or on the way home – almost everyone has experienced it themselves or seen it happen to others.
With the internet, bullying is now happening in children's bedrooms, where one should feel safe. Nowadays, everyone has a smartphone and access to the World Wide Web. On social networks like Instagram or TikTok, it’s easy for trolls to target their “victims” and insult them. Online bullying is a daily occurrence for many teenagers. This should not be the case!
Many perpetrators see their behavior as a big joke and don’t realize what they are doing to others. Often, they just want to cover up their own insecurities and vulnerabilities.
Don't Do It!
Don’t start it at all or stop immediately if you feel guilty while reading this article about having engaged in cyberbullying. Because surprise, this behavior is punishable.
Having Trouble with a Classmate or Teacher?
Talk openly with your parents about it. They can encourage you and support you. Trusted teachers can also be good contacts. The only real solution to bullying is: talk about it and work together against it. You don’t have to go through this alone.
Talk About It!
Don’t believe what the messages say. Don’t withdraw, but talk to someone about it. Even if it’s hard, you’ll feel much better afterward. If you want to stay anonymous, you can also contact "Nummer gegen Kummer" (link: https://www.nummergegenkummer.de). You are not alone!
Report Bullies!
Every social media platform, including the scoolio app, has a report feature to protect you and others from online bullying.
Stars Against Bullying
Even popular stars were once students like you and are now actively working to reduce hate online. For example, Madelaine Petsch, who plays the tough Cheryl Blossom in the popular Netflix series *Riverdale*, says: "I learned how bullies think because Cheryl is also a bully on the show. The people who made fun of me as a kid had their own problems, and they took them out on others."
Her character Cheryl helped her learn to truly love her red hair. She also gives a great tip about bullying: "The things you're bullied for now are the very things that make you unique and special."
Community Guidelines
Every social media platform has community guidelines, which are rules for how to behave online. If you violate them, you’re usually warned or your profile might be deleted. In the worst-case scenario, you can even face legal action. It doesn’t have to go that far if you just behave the way you’d like to be treated!
We at scoolio also have community guidelines, which we have listed here. If you break the rules, you will be warned, banned, or possibly even deleted. Please always keep the following in mind:
- Be nice and respect other users!
- Don’t spread racism!
- Don’t share sexual content!
- Avoid spam in chats and groups!
- Don’t be a troll!
- Keep all interactions on scoolio positive. We are a friendly, colorful & fun community.
Information About You!
- Provide your correct age!
- Students under 16 require parental consent to use the scoolio app when creating their profile.
- It is not allowed to impersonate someone else.
Fake News!
- Do not spread false information, such as denying tragic events, making unfounded medical claims, or undermining civil society processes.
Be Friendly!
- scoolio is NOT a place for bullying. Treat others with respect.
- Don’t send messages with the intention to hurt someone.
- Don’t share private information or pictures of others.
NO Sex!
- Never post, store, or send explicit images or sexual content of others, including yourself. Don’t ask other users to send sexual pictures or messages. We report any violations to the authorities.
NO Violence!
- Never incite violence or dangerous behavior. Never threaten to harm a person, group, or property.
- We do not allow any positive portrayal of self-harm, including self-injury or eating disorders.
NO Racism! NO Hate!
- We take a zero-tolerance approach to content that advocates or promotes violent extremism or terrorism.
- Hate speech or content that degrades others based on their race, skin color, caste, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, immigration status, socio-economic status, age, or weight, or promotes discrimination or violence, is prohibited.
Protect Your Data!
- Never share personal data like your address or phone number. Social media is never the right place for that.
These should all be things that go without saying, but unfortunately, they don’t always. So here’s a friendly reminder from us! ;). You can read our full community guidelines here.
We are proud to be a positive, colorful, and fun community, and we welcome everyone who is part of it. Please follow our guidelines to keep scoolio a peaceful and safe place for EVERYONE!
Author: Team scoolio
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- Cyberbullying
- Fight Bullying
- Prevent Bullying
