Cyberbullying affects all age groups, including adults. Learn about different strategies and get help for adult victims of cyberbullying. We get a lot of emails, phone calls, and comments on this blog from adults who are being bullied though technology. These adult victims of cyberbullying stress to us that cyberbullying is not just an adolescent problem.
Believe me, we know. We receive more inquiries from adults than teens. We know that cyberbullying negatively affects adults too. That said, I thought I would take some time here to give the adults who have been victimized out there some general advice. First, it is important to keep all evidence of the bullying: messages, posts, comments, etc. If there are ways you can determine who exactly is making the comments, also document that. Second, contact the service or content provider through which the bullying is occurring.
For example, if you are being cyberbullied on Facebook, contact them. If you are receiving hurtful or threatening cell phone messages, contact your cell phone company to obtain assistance. Along those same lines, familiarize yourself with the Terms of Use for the various sites you frequent, and the online accounts you sign up for.
To be sure, some web site administrators are better and quicker at this than others. Also, please be careful not to retaliate — or do anything that might be perceived by an outsider to have contributed to the problem. Do not respond to the cyberbully except to calmly tell them to stop. If they refuse, you may have to take additional actions. If you are ever afraid for your safety, you need to contact law enforcement to investigate.
They can determine whether any threats made are credible. If they are, the police will formally look into it. The evidence that you have collected will help them to evaluate your situation. You should also take the time to check your state laws. We have discussed some of these laws on this blog and have a summary of many applicable laws here.
