Cyberbullying is essentially when you are bullied, or harassed, online or with some other device like a phone. It’s just as distressing as “real” bullying and a large number of people suffer from it.

I have many friends who had to deal with it, I also had to cope with it. It can be tough but the most important thing is to talk to your family or your friends.

Here are a few recommendations about what to do if you are a victim of cyberbullying. Please share them to help others in this situation.

Save The Messages

You might be tempted to delete the hurtful messages but you shouldn’t. Save the harassing messages. That way you have proof that the other person did what you said. This is one “advantage” of cyberbullying. It’s hard to prove bullying at times. With cyberbullying, however, there are messages that prove the person said and did what they did. You may need this evidence one day.

Never Respond

This is a piece of advice that goes to all levels of bullying and harassment. It’s still somehow the hardest one to do. Never ever respond to someone who is bullying you. Never reply to them. Remember that things never disappear on the internet. Stay calm and collected and remember that, even if you do get upset or angry, letting the other person know that by responding to them just fuels them further.

Block or Mute Them

If the person is harassing you using social media like Facebook or Twitter then you have options to shut them up by blocking them or muting them. This ensures that the person will not be able to talk to you. If the person is someone you don’t know in real life this will often be enough to get rid of them. If they are harassing you through your phone then there are apps you can download that can block numbers, or your provider might be willing to block a number for you if you’re being harassed.

Tell Someone

Some of the rules for cyberbullying are the same as with regular bullying. You should never suffer alone. Always tell someone that you’re being harassed, whether it is a friend or a parent or a teacher. They may be able to help you deal with it. At the very least you will know that you aren’t alone and that will help you cope with whatever the bully can throw at you.

Consider Pressing Charges

If the bullying and harassment becomes really severe then consider pressing charges. Harassment is illegal. If you have trouble finding out who they are in real life the authorities will be able to help you. What happens to them depends on the severity of what they’ve done. Authorities take threats of violence very seriously. The offender can be expelled or suspended and, if they’ve gone way too far, may even be arrested.

The main thing to remember with all forms of bullying is that you should never suffer alone and you should never respond to them. They do what they do because they want you to react. If you don’t react to them they will get bored. It’s something everyone says because it really works. It’s just difficult. Check the stopbullying website for more information.