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Cyberbullying is not just a schoolyard issue, but you would never know it when you open a search engine. Workplace bullies follow employees home through the computer. Stalkers, ex-boyfriends/girlfriends seeking revenge, disgruntled job candidates that were passed over, creditors, or a stranger that just dislikes the color of your eyes…haters are everywhere and they are posting trash on the Internet. While there are crossovers between the classroom and the boardroom with respect to how cyberbullying comes about and how to deal with it – for the most part, the schoolyard doesn’t impact a company’s balance sheet. There are issues that only adults and businesses face and children do not. The affect on commerce and trade impacts the ability to do business.
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10 Things to Do When You Discover You’ve Been Cyber-libeled or Cyerbullied
By Debbie Elicksen
When you discover you’ve been cyberbullied, DO NOT RESPOND, COMMUNICATE, ENGAGE, OR GET ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS TO ENGAGE THE CYBERBULLY.
Do a forensic Google audit — search your name — every page, including the ones that have been archived by Google.
When you come across something, take a screenshot. Capture everything and document everything you can find, including the comments to the post. The people who participate in the cyber post may have also shared the said post on social media, et. al., so Google them, too, and screenshot anything you find.
Keep an organized file of your screenshots and anything else you’ve found. Back it up on your device and on the web (i.e. Google Drive). Put this file in a place where you can’t view it and call it something like Excrement. Don’t name your troll and don’t let this folder hit your eyesight when you go into your device. Hide the folder in another folder (such as Personal). Keep it out of your view and your subconscious.
You will have an emotional reaction, much like being punched in the gut. The adrenalin will rise to the top of your head and you’ll feel heat overtake your body. Sit down, hold onto your chair or desk. Breathe. Mourn. Cry. Beat up a pillow. Be wary of the depression that will set in. It’s inevitable. You’re human. Someone just attacked you for everyone to see.
If your cyberbully has taken the time and energy to dedicate a web page to you, go through it line by line. For each line you can debunk, do that in a document. Save the document and put in that Excrement file.
Start taking your power back. Research your country/state/province as to the cyberbullying and cyber-libel laws. Copy and past the highlights that apply to your situation, along with the source, in another document and save to that Excrement file.
Go to whois.net to find out the owner of the website, if it is not a social media site. See if the host (if it is not your cyberbully — do not engage him/her) will remove the post (it’s unlikely, but ask anyway).
Now you are ready to file a police report. YES, a police report. Regardless if your district police even know what cyberbullying is, get it on record that this is NOT okay. Keep your police report and file number in a file you can’t see. Also scan it and put in the Excrement file. Whether you can pursue the police case or not, having that file number will help with your recovery.
Develop a cyber plan to counter the attacks online by setting up an editorial plan and being EVERYWHERE. Post good stuff. Post positive stuff. Post stuff that helps other people. Be a pillar of the community, especially the cyber community. Be a good cyber citizen. Even if that post remains at the top of Google, your other work on the web will drown its effectiveness. There will be those who choose to believe the cyberbully rather than look further down the feed to actually see what you do every day. So be it.
Debbie Elicksen Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.freelancepublishing.net/wp/ Books: http://www.freelancepublishing.net/wp/books/ About Me: http://about.me/debbie.elicksen Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookpublish101 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.elicksen Virtual Newsmakers: https://www.youtube.com/user/VirtualNewsmakers/about Cyber Crimefighter: http://debbieelicksen.wix.com/cyber-crimefighter
