Uhura

by Abe Smith

With this year’s election season, one topic has been brought up numerous times. What should we do about ‘cyberbullies?’ It is my contention that this problem is not as pervasive as some would have us believe, and that as an organization we don’t need broad plans that serve to micromanage the actions of our members. However, it is imperative that we come to the realization that as members, we have the most power in preventing cyberbullying.

The issue of bullying does not affect STARFLEET alone, nor is it a relatively new situation. Organizations have been riding a fine line between freedom of speech and harassment since the earliest days of the internet. Due to the anonymity of the medium, some feel that they can get by with saying things online that they normally would not say to a person to their face.

With this in mind, here are some guidelines that you can use to stop from being a victim or prevent being seen as an instigator. These are not meant to cover every situation, but will provide some general help on what to do.

Think before you type.

One of the biggest causes of perceived cyberbullying is when people write messages ‘off the cuff’. In the heat of the moment, they may immediately respond to something with anger or resentment. If they had calmed down and thought out what they wanted to say, it could have come off with less anger, and could have been easier to understand.

It is a good idea to think about what you will be typing before committing yourself to it. This gives you a chance to form well thought-out ideas, avoid wording that might upset others, and edit yourself. What you might say when you are angry could be quite different from what you say when you have calmed down.

Don’t take on the role of the victim.

If you feel you are being harassed online don’t assume that there is nothing you can do about it, or that only others can solve your problems. There are always options available to you. Complaining to everyone that you are being harassed but taking no steps to prevent or end that harassment on your own will earn you little sympathy.

Filing a complaint and waiting for someone else to solve your problem does not constitute taking steps to end the harassment. If one step does not work, take the other steps available to you.

Try to understand.

Something that everyone can do to limit the number of accusations of cyberbullying is to understand that everyone has different perceptions and feelings. To understand and accept this can go a long way to preventing some of the disputes that arise. Just because you feel one way, doesn’t mean everyone else will. No matter what you say, it is unlikely that you will change what another person believes. Through better understanding, we can take a good shot at lowering the chances of offense.

There’s an old net saying. “Don’t offend, and don’t be too easily offended.”

Personal Disputes

In most cases, ‘cyberbullying’ arises from a personal dispute. This dispute between either persons or groups could be something that starts out innocently and degrades into attacks against one another. When personal disputes come up, you should take the initiative to either resolve them quickly in an amicable way to both parties, or break contact with the other party in order to stop the argument.

You should never try to involve others in personal disputes, unless they are there to help bring a close to the dispute through honest mediation. Bringing others to your ’side’ will just prolong the dispute, and probably amp the animosity. Personal disputes should never be argued in public forums, if there is a dispute, take it private.

Hashing out personal issues publically will bore the ‘audience,’ who have no stake in the argument, or cause them to lose interest in the medium, as this was not the function it was set up for. Even if you’re right, you lose.

Bait is for fish.

Some people write inflammatory pieces to ‘get a rise’ out of others. The best course is to just ignore any piece like this. By responding to this bait, you’ll be giving the person what they want, and if you don’t respond, they will usually move on.

What to do if you are still being bullied

Sometimes no matter how hard you try to not become involved in arguments, you may continue to be harrassed. When someone continues to bother you after you have already asked them to stop, then this could be considered a true case of ‘cyberbullying.’ There’s good news — You have options!

Ask the person to stop harassing you. If that person is reasonable this might solve all of your problems. If the person does not listen to reason then try some other steps.

If you’re being harrassed in a public forum, there are usually rules against such actions, and these rules are usually enforced by moderators of some kind. If you politely bring your case before these moderators they will probably help you resolve the situation. If this doesn’t work, you can always appeal directly to the operator/owner of the medium that you are using, making sure you follow any guidelines set forth and keeping documentation of your actions.

In private or unmoderated forums, it can be trickier to resolve an issue of ‘cyberbullying.’ The most powerful weapon available to you in these instances is the ability to ignore or block the offending person. By blocking their access to you, you’ll virtually stop all harassment.

Additional options

Although this is not the fairest of all means to end cyberbullying, it’s probably the easiest. Just quitting or leaving the media in which you are being harassed can often stop bullies dead in their tracks. Unsubscribing from a list, changing E-mail or IM addresses or quitting groups, leaves the bully few choices. This is a personal decision that someone makes if they feel they have exhausted all other resources available to them and want to stop the harassment permanently.

Most internet service providers have rules against harassment or ‘improper use’ of their services. If you’ve kept documentation of your efforts to end the harassment, you can contact the ISP of the offending person and provide them documentation showing the abuse. Then it’s up to the ISP to take action or not. This might stop the harassment or just be a stop-gap till the offender finds a new provider, but it might give you some relief.

Finally, if you have exhausted all other options available to you and you are still being harassed or threatened, you can contact the authorities. This will be a long, drawn-out process in which you would have to provide proof of the harassment and show that you have made efforts to end it. Odds are most bullies will stop before this stage, but for those persistent few, this might be your only recourse.

Above all, remember a few guiding principles. Keep personal business personal, try to keep a thick skin and not get easily upset, treat others with a modicum of respect. If you have a disagreement with someone, ‘live and let live’, and remember to follow the rules. By policing our own actions and taking responsibility upon ourselves to solve problems, we show that as members, we already hold the ultimate power to stop ‘cyberbullying.’