How to properly combat cyberharassment and cyber intimidation

Cyberharassment is on the rise these days. It's unfortunate that few countries and institutions have made plans to combat and punish the perpetrators. In general, stopping cyberbullying starts with you. If you are careful about the personal information you share or post on various social handles and reveal less of what the public can know about you, you will limit your chances of becoming a victim of cyberbullying.

Most social media platforms have rules and regulations to regulate and punish cyberbullying. Getting used to their behavior and reporting your bullies to your social handle management is a good step, but you need to have some evidence before contacting them.

It is also a good idea to leave the group or block the bully, and if it turns out that your bully is on the same team as you, your coworker, or your classmate, report it to your administrator. You can also surf the web with a hidden identity and avoid leaving your social handles and devices open and unsecured with a strong password.

Sometimes the perpetrator will contact you through email, text, or instant messages. If you know the person, you can tell them to stop, but if they refuse or you don't know them, follow these steps:

• don't respond to their message to give them the impression that they have the right person; if you must, be careful, because most cyberbullies want to get on your nerves to make you angry
• have some proof that you are being bullied. You can screenshot the messages or print out your chats
• use email filters and don't open any attachments in the emails they send you, as they may contain a virus
• contact the harasser's Internet service provider and report them with your evidence
• report to the police and have them take appropriate action in case of bodily harm or death threats