Recently, the Montenegrin media published news that was painful to read. Bar students made a video of their peer, a boy with developmental disabilities, and published it on social networks, with the worst insults and disparagement. The mother reported the case to the police and said that her child was the third victim of this behavior.
Cyberbullying has become a topic that cannot be brushed under the rug. Social networks have led to a new manifestation of bullying, which is no longer limited by time or space. Cyberbullying involves the use of digital technology to harass, insult, threaten, share personal content without permission, or other types of abuse. The most vulnerable group are children, on whom this type of violence can have traumatic consequences. That is why we will focus on them in the following lines, although similar advice applies to other groups.
The most important thing is to create in children the willingness to immediately openly address their parents, teachers, school psychologist and administration. The shame of the victim often leads to silence and suffering, which only gives wings to the bullies. It is necessary to instill in children a defensive reflex: let them turn over every stone until they find someone who will help them and punish the bullies. From teachers, to the school principal, to the police and the media. Because To put a foot on tyranny, to bring it to a better understanding of the law, that is the most sacred human duty..
Cyberbullies should not be argued with – do not add fuel to the fire. Instead, remember their biggest weakness: their misdeeds can be easily proven. When bullying occurs, it is necessary to take screenshots as soon as possible, so that there are traces of everything that happened, even if the content is later deleted. With this evidence, bullying can be reported at all levels: to the specific social network used, to the school, to the police, to the CIRT Government portal Montenegro and ombudsman via the "Brave Inbox" option.
If you know someone outside your family who is silently suffering from digital violence – encourage them to seek help in this way. A little encouragement or a single piece of advice can make a big difference. We must not allow violence to be normalized: “They’re just kids”, “They were just joking”, “You can’t do anything to them”, “Let them get tough”… The increasing number of suicides among victims of cyberbullying is the biggest indicator of the seriousness of this problem. It is more dangerous than “traditional” peer violence, since it is not limited to school hallways and playgrounds. The victim is not safe even when he is at home, since digital aggression can happen at any time.
The next key step is to provide the victim of violence with urgent psychological support (e.g. in mental health centers at health centers). It is important that the victim does not identify with an inferior and helpless position, but rather that we strengthen their self-esteem and ability to defend and value themselves. Responsibility and shame should be borne exclusively by digital bullies, not their targets. In a better world, if we live to see it, universal, free and regular psychotherapy will be the inalienable right of every human being, especially a child. The right to health. (Shyness towards psychologists is a reliable sign of the immaturity of a society.)
One possible form of prevention should also be mentioned. Young people should be careful when it comes to the content they post on social networks. Everything they post is potential ammunition for online attackers. The algorithmic machinery of social networks positions itself as a playground, a space for relaxation and fun. We casually frolick around this playground, while all around us are thugs and predators who are just lurking. And the content that is nevertheless posted should be placed under as many barricades as possible, through privacy settings on the platforms: set the content to be visible only to a narrow circle of selected friends, limit or block problematic users... Publishing your own pictures and videos every day has become a generally accepted (ab)normality. However, the scramble for likes from a multitude of strangers cannot compensate for what our soul really needs – and that is a deeper connection with a few of our closest ones.
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The unknown author sarcastically observed that humanity has not yet been destroyed by plague, wars or asteroids – but it seems that screens will. Digital media is a Pandora's box from which, in addition to cyberbullying, the general degradation of the mental health of young people has emerged. brainrot – “brain rot”), widespread polarization and the era of post-truth.
It's easy to fall into pessimism and nihilism. Especially in our environment, given the depression of Montenegrins, about which psychiatric studies have been written. "The devil took everything!"
However, we have no right to surrender. Especially when it comes to cyberbullying. Precisely because of the boy at the beginning of the text, and all other small beings who deserve a happy childhood. Let the fight be continuous – for a solidary society with strong institutions, which will not leave children to fend for themselves, in the jaws of digital monsters.
The author is a communicator.
This text was written for the website medijskapismenost.me within the framework of the program of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services
Bonus video:
