What is cyberbullying or cyberharassment?

Definition and Differential Characteristics

Cyberbullying, or cyberbullying, is the digital evolution of traditional bullying.

It is defined as the use of digital technologies (social networks, messaging applications, gaming platforms, cell phones) to deliberately and repeatedly harass, humiliate, intimidate, threaten or annoy another person.

Like face-to-face bullying, it is based on the three pillars: intentionality (there is a desire to harm), repetition (it is not an isolated incident, although sometimes a single digital act that goes viral meets this criterion) and power imbalance. However, the power imbalance in cyberbullying is different.

It does not depend on physical strength or social popularity, but on anonymity, digital competence (knowing how to create fake profiles, hack accounts) or the ability to disseminate.

The aggressor feels powerful because he believes he will not be discovered, and the victim feels powerless because he does not know who is attacking him or how to stop the viralization of humiliating content.

The Amplification of Harm (The "4 A's" of Cyberbullying).

Cyberbullying is, in many ways, more pernicious than traditional bullying because of its unique characteristics, which can be summarized in the "4 A's":

Anonymity: the aggressor may hide behind fake profiles, temporary emails or unknown numbers.

This lack of visible identity disinhibits the stalker, making him more cruel, and generates extreme anxiety in the victim, who does not know from whom he should protect himself.

Reach (Virality): A humiliating photo or a rumor in the schoolyard died at the sound of the bell.

On the Internet, a single click can spread that content to hundreds or thousands of people in seconds. The audience reach is potentially unlimited.

Timelessness (Perpetuity): Traditional bullying had a time and place (school, on the way home). Cyberbullying invades the victim's home.

Cell phone vibrates with insults in her room, in the middle of the night, during the vacations. No safe haven.

Aggressiveness (Disinhibition): Lack of eye contact and physical distance cause an "online disinhibition effect".

People dare to write things they would never say face-to-face. This makes the language of cyberbullying often much more explicit and violent.

The New Role of the Digital Observer

In cyberbullying, the role of the observer is transformed and becomes even more crucial.

He is no longer just a passive bystander; he becomes an active agent of aggression with seemingly trivial actions.

Every "Like" to a humiliating post, every "share" of a denigrating video, or even the simple viewing of an Instagram "story" intended to ridicule someone, is an act of reinforcement to the aggressor and a new aggression for the victim.

The digital observer has a direct responsibility in the viralization. Their passivity or active participation (even out of curiosity) multiplies the damage and humiliation.

Unlike the schoolyard, where the observer could feel physical fear, in the digital realm, the "cyber-brave" (the one who denounces the content, the one who supports the victim in public or private) has more tools to act safely, although the fear of social rejection from the group is still present.

Summary

Cyberbullying is the use of digital technology to intimidate, humiliate and harass another person. It relies on intent, repetition, and an imbalance of power based on anonymity.

Its harm is amplified by reach (virality), perpetuity (occurs 24/7, invading the home) and anonymity, which provokes greater cruelty on the part of the aggressor.

The digital observer plays an active role. Each "Like" or "share" of a humiliating content is an act of reinforcement that multiplies the damage and the viralization of the aggression.