Cyberbullying has repeatedly made headlines in recent years.

A group of volunteers against the abuse of cats in China recently reported that they received death threats and their private personal information was leaked online, after they exposed some abusers' ill-treatment of cats.

In May, professional Japanese wrestler Hana Kimura, who reportedly experienced cyberbullying after her appearance in a reality show, has died of a suspected suicide at the age of 22.

Last year, two South Korean singer-actresses, Sulli and Goo Hara, both suffering from long-term cyberbullying and depression, ended their own lives in their twenties.

A number of cyberbullying cases have shown that the phenomenon universal, regardless of the victims' profession or nationality.

The rise of cyberbullying and its effects

Today, internet has become an integral part of people's lives. The findings from the Digital 2019 report show that the world's internet users spend on average 6 hours and 42 minutes online each day.

Internet users, especially young users, have spent much time on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones. On social platforms alone, users spend 2 hours and 16 minutes each day on average, according to the GlobalWebIndex.

Social platforms meet people's demand for social contact, information acquisition, entertainment, emotional support among others. But in the same time, cyberbullying is taking place every day.

From spreading lies about the victim and posting victim's embarrassing photos, to sending hurtful messages or threats, all forms are aimed at scaring, angering or shaming the targeted person.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned in February 2019 that 70.6 percent of young netizens aged 15 to 24 across the world are facing threats of cyber violence, bullying and harassment.

When the bullying happens, the victim can feel as if he or she is being attacked everywhere. The effects can last a long time and affect the victim mentally, emotionally and physically.

According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S., cyber violence can easily lead to insomnia, anxiety, depression, headache, stomach pain and other risks.

In extreme cases, cyberbullying can even lead to people taking their own lives. 

How to end cyberbullying?

To end cyberbullying, we should first act from ourselves.

UNICEF has offered some advice on its website. People are suggested to make comments and share their personal information cautiously online as prevention, and are asked not bully or assist bullying online.

In an effort to encourage positive action, UNICEF launched its "Key to Kindness" campaign in October 2019, urging young people to rethink the way they speak to each other online and use goodwill when at the keyboard.

For the victims of cyberbullying, sometimes the feeling of being laughed at or attacked by others may prevent them from opening their mouth to deal with the problem. The solution UNICEF gives is to keep silent or ask the bullies to stop. If this does not work, it encourages victims to ask trusted family members, friends or the police for help.

Social media platforms also need to shoulder their responsibility. To prevent cyberspace from turning into the breeding ground for cyber bullying, the internet companies should use digital technologies to recognize bullying content, force accountability on what people post online, build a friendly cyber environment, and provide help for users who suffered from cyberbullying.

Governments play a vital role in tackling the problem. Potential measures include building up institutional systems in schools, public institutions and private enterprises, as well as supporting social organizations to prevent and respond cyberbullying and help victims to recover.

In Japan, schools are required by law to prevent and report incidents of bullying, including cyberbullying. Besides, a free hotline was set up in 2013 for students and their parents across the country to consult the bullying issues and get help.

Making law for regulating and educating the bullies is indispensable. China in 2017 launched the Cyber Security Law, stipulating that publicizing others' personal information without permission would get at most three-year imprisonment or detention.

(Cover image via VCG)