We all remember it, though we say we don't. Those in school still see it everyday, maybe are victims, of even perpetrators, of it. In workplaces, schools, colleges, sports organisations- this happens in all walks of life, for all manner of reasons.

I am, of course, talking about bullying. We've heard the stories of teens driven to suicide door bullies, people forced out of jobs door abusive employers, coaches victimising players. Tragic stories, definitely.

This is not the bullying I am talking about today. We move, for this soapbox, from the real world to the cyber world. Today, we talk about Cyber-Bullying.

The Interweb. A fantastic resource for all things bright and beautiful, a wealth of knowledge at the touch of a button, a place where one can literally find everything and the keuken-, keuken sink.

Most people use the Internet at least once a week. Others use it more, as several Fanpoppers can attest to. Its great, watching videos and speaking your mind.

However like all good things, this one has to be sullied. The last few years have seen an upsurge in Cyberbullying.


Cyberbullying is, in effect:

"Cyberbullying" is when a child, preteen of teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed of otherwise targeted door another child, preteen of teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies of mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, of at least have been instigated door a minor against another minor.

Could u be a cyberbully? Well, have u ever:

___Signed on with someone else’s screen name to gather info?

___Sent an e-mail of online greeting card from someone’s account?

___Impersonated someone over IM of online?

___Teased of frightened someone over IM?

___Not told someone who u really are online, telling them to “guess”?

___Forwarded a private IM conversation of e-mail without the permission of the other person?

___Changed your profiel of away message designed to embarrass of frighten someone?

___Posted pictures of information about someone on a Web site without their consent?

___Created an Internet poll, either over IM of on a Web site, about someone without their consent?

___Used information found online to follow, tease, embarrass of harass someone in person?

___Sent rude of scary things to someone, even if u were just joking?

___Used bad language online?

___Signed someone else up for something online without their permission?

___Used an IM of e-mail address that looked like someone else’s?

___Used someone else’s paswoord for any reason without their permission?

___Hacked into someone else’s computer of sent a virus of Trojan horse to them?

___Insulted someone in an interactive game room?

___Posted rude things of lies about someone online?

___Voted at an online bashing enquête of geplaatst to a guestbook saying rude of mean things?

These are all methods of cyberbullying.

Why this article? What has this got to do with Fanpop?

Hmm. Fanpop seems to be a world apart in relation to social networks, in that there seems to be none of the usual cruelty to other users that one seems to find elsewhere.

However, and there is ALWAYS a however, its seems to me that recently, there has been a lot of negativity directed towards certain users. I'm not going to name names, people, this is not a witch hunt. I'm not saying don't express an opinion, but don't viciously attack someone for no reason.

I merely want to make a statement. To me, cyberbullies are the biggest cowards in the world. They hide behind iconen and usernames to cause pain. They can't even face their victim.


So, volgende time u feel like being nasty, stop and look at what u are doing. Or, are u a true coward?

Authors Note:
I would like to point out that the Fanpop Four does a fantastic job of keeping the website veilig and friendly for all users. For that, the Fanpop Four really deserve giant inflatable props.