Bullying isn't just something that happens in schools.
Sometimes it happens in chat rooms, Facebook, and other online venues.
Recently, Twitter.
com has been in the spotlight for problem behavior.
In the UK, several women recently received rape threats over something as benign as campaigning for women of history to be featured on banknotes.
These threats were taken seriously because of the laws in place in the UK, and received media exposure by outraged journalists.
Tony Wang, the head of Twitter UK, offered up an apology via his Twitter account, saying, "There is more we can and will be doing to protect our users against abuse.
That is our commitment.
The abuse they've received is simply not acceptable.
It's not acceptable in the real world, and it's not acceptable on Twitter.
" Unfortunately, the sad truth is that vague threats, intimidation, and abuse have been tolerated and allowed not only in the UK, but the US, as well.
Progress in fighting this behavior has been slow.
While Twitter pledged to "do more", there hasn't been a lot in the way of tangible, pro-active monitoring.
A user can have up to 5 handles on Twitter under the same IP address.
While it is prohibited to have this many accounts for purposes of harassment, many users use multiple accounts for the purpose of bullying on a daily basis.
Death threats, missives from strangers to "kill yourself", and even release of private, personal information on Twitter has caused a lot of problems for the Twitter community.
If you're being targeted for abuse or bullying on Twitter, you may be frustrated, angry, or even afraid.
That's a normal reaction to anti-social, scapegoating behavior.
It's okay to be upset.
The worst thing you can possibly do when you are targeted for abuse? Nothing.
To do nothing, or "go silent" signals to the bullies that they "win".
If the bullies win, they will move on to other targets and sometimes, they will follow you to other social media platforms.
Be pro-active.
You're worth the effort it takes to beat back Twitter bullies.
It may take some effort to stand up to bullies, but the terms of service on Twitter are meant to assist users with abusive behavior.
Here are 5 Steps to Beat Back Twitter Bullies: 1.
Block the user.
Don't search for their user name to see what they are writing about you unless you need the information for the Twitter support department or law enforcement.
A bully is seeking attention and a response.
Don't give them what they so desperately crave.
2.
Take screen shots of abusive tweets in case law enforcement or school authorities need to be involved.
Tweets that name-call, lie about you, or point users to your personal information elsewhere on the web (such as Facebook) fit this category.
3.
Copy the "tweet URL" for each abusive tweet.
The tweet URL is at the top of the page, in your browser's address bar.
Users often delete abusive tweets to hide the evidence of their behavior, but URL's and individual tweets are saved by Twitter, even if deleted.
This makes it possible for Twitter to investigate, even if the individual tweets have been deleted.
4.
Go to the "Twitter Support form" and fill out the information required.
The more information you can give, the better.
If you received 20 abusive tweets in a 24 hour period, make sure that you have copied and pasted all of the URL's correctly.
5.
If somebody has stolen your photographs, is impersonating you, or you suspect they are using multiple accounts to bully and harass you, state this in the report form.
Many Twitter bullies will steal your photo and make a "parody" account.
This is against the TOS and it is called "impersonation".
Once you've taken these steps, you may have to provide more information.
It may take more than one form to get to get Twitter to handle your case properly.
If the bully has resorted to threats, or you live in an area with strict anti-bullying laws, please make sure that you contact law enforcement.
Law enforcement can subpoena information such as IP's from Twitter rather quickly, and the threat of criminal charges is often sufficient to scare away the source of the bullying.
Often, if you are being impersonated, Twitter will require that you submit a valid ID to prove who you are.
This information remains private, and will be helpful to law enforcement if the person harassing you has a history of online threats.
If you continue to be abused on Twitter even after filing support forms, you may want to consider civil actions to unmask the identity of the people or persons bullying you.
If you are a student, notify your teachers or a counselor of the bullying, especially if you believe it's coming from somebody who knows you.
Twitter receives hundreds of reports on bullying everyday.
Sadly, they often don't take immediate action.
Sometimes it can take 4 or 5 reports, or a tangible threat, to get your bully suspended from Twitter.
If you're being bullied or harassed on Twitter, you may feel very alone.
You're not alone.
Reach out to anti-bullying organizations on Twitter, follow anti-bully campaigns, and do your best not to resort to similar behavior.
You're above that, and you're a better person than that.
Reach out to Twitter friends via DM and let them know what you're going through.
Believe it or not, most people will really want to help you.
Let them!
Sometimes it happens in chat rooms, Facebook, and other online venues.
Recently, Twitter.
com has been in the spotlight for problem behavior.
In the UK, several women recently received rape threats over something as benign as campaigning for women of history to be featured on banknotes.
These threats were taken seriously because of the laws in place in the UK, and received media exposure by outraged journalists.
Tony Wang, the head of Twitter UK, offered up an apology via his Twitter account, saying, "There is more we can and will be doing to protect our users against abuse.
That is our commitment.
The abuse they've received is simply not acceptable.
It's not acceptable in the real world, and it's not acceptable on Twitter.
" Unfortunately, the sad truth is that vague threats, intimidation, and abuse have been tolerated and allowed not only in the UK, but the US, as well.
Progress in fighting this behavior has been slow.
While Twitter pledged to "do more", there hasn't been a lot in the way of tangible, pro-active monitoring.
A user can have up to 5 handles on Twitter under the same IP address.
While it is prohibited to have this many accounts for purposes of harassment, many users use multiple accounts for the purpose of bullying on a daily basis.
Death threats, missives from strangers to "kill yourself", and even release of private, personal information on Twitter has caused a lot of problems for the Twitter community.
If you're being targeted for abuse or bullying on Twitter, you may be frustrated, angry, or even afraid.
That's a normal reaction to anti-social, scapegoating behavior.
It's okay to be upset.
The worst thing you can possibly do when you are targeted for abuse? Nothing.
To do nothing, or "go silent" signals to the bullies that they "win".
If the bullies win, they will move on to other targets and sometimes, they will follow you to other social media platforms.
Be pro-active.
You're worth the effort it takes to beat back Twitter bullies.
It may take some effort to stand up to bullies, but the terms of service on Twitter are meant to assist users with abusive behavior.
Here are 5 Steps to Beat Back Twitter Bullies: 1.
Block the user.
Don't search for their user name to see what they are writing about you unless you need the information for the Twitter support department or law enforcement.
A bully is seeking attention and a response.
Don't give them what they so desperately crave.
2.
Take screen shots of abusive tweets in case law enforcement or school authorities need to be involved.
Tweets that name-call, lie about you, or point users to your personal information elsewhere on the web (such as Facebook) fit this category.
3.
Copy the "tweet URL" for each abusive tweet.
The tweet URL is at the top of the page, in your browser's address bar.
Users often delete abusive tweets to hide the evidence of their behavior, but URL's and individual tweets are saved by Twitter, even if deleted.
This makes it possible for Twitter to investigate, even if the individual tweets have been deleted.
4.
Go to the "Twitter Support form" and fill out the information required.
The more information you can give, the better.
If you received 20 abusive tweets in a 24 hour period, make sure that you have copied and pasted all of the URL's correctly.
5.
If somebody has stolen your photographs, is impersonating you, or you suspect they are using multiple accounts to bully and harass you, state this in the report form.
Many Twitter bullies will steal your photo and make a "parody" account.
This is against the TOS and it is called "impersonation".
Once you've taken these steps, you may have to provide more information.
It may take more than one form to get to get Twitter to handle your case properly.
If the bully has resorted to threats, or you live in an area with strict anti-bullying laws, please make sure that you contact law enforcement.
Law enforcement can subpoena information such as IP's from Twitter rather quickly, and the threat of criminal charges is often sufficient to scare away the source of the bullying.
Often, if you are being impersonated, Twitter will require that you submit a valid ID to prove who you are.
This information remains private, and will be helpful to law enforcement if the person harassing you has a history of online threats.
If you continue to be abused on Twitter even after filing support forms, you may want to consider civil actions to unmask the identity of the people or persons bullying you.
If you are a student, notify your teachers or a counselor of the bullying, especially if you believe it's coming from somebody who knows you.
Twitter receives hundreds of reports on bullying everyday.
Sadly, they often don't take immediate action.
Sometimes it can take 4 or 5 reports, or a tangible threat, to get your bully suspended from Twitter.
If you're being bullied or harassed on Twitter, you may feel very alone.
You're not alone.
Reach out to anti-bullying organizations on Twitter, follow anti-bully campaigns, and do your best not to resort to similar behavior.
You're above that, and you're a better person than that.
Reach out to Twitter friends via DM and let them know what you're going through.
Believe it or not, most people will really want to help you.
Let them!