My Experience with Cyber-bullying and How You Can Learn from My Mistakes

Have you heard the term cyber-bullying? Did you think it was something only teenagers and young adults experienced? Did you worry more about your children being bullied and never think it could possibly happen to you? I'm proof that it can happen. I've learned a great deal from the experience and I hope my tips can help you avoid being a victim.

My story began innocently when a group of women formed an online discussion group. We came from different backgrounds but had some things in common, most notably home schooling. In order to respect the privacy of all involved I'm not going to provide intimate details but will give the necessary facts as I see them. The group began well but it became clear later on that the personalities did not mesh well. Eventually subgroups formed and in the end, I was forced out of the group. My reputation was permanently damaged and my sense of security online greatly diminished.

I gained some hard knowledge from the incident and I hope my tips can help you better navigate the online world and avoid being a victim as I was.

First, you should realize that emails are permanent. What you write in an email can be viewed by anyone. There is no such thing as a "private" email. People can and will forward your most intimate thoughts to others. And although you delete the email, copies will still exist. My advice is to never, ever write anything in an email you wouldn't be comfortable with the world viewing.

Secondly, information in online discussion groups can be shared with people outside of the group. Although you may feel comfortable in your little group, please realize that not everyone will be honorable enough to keep those posts private. You should also realize that by sharing intimate details of your life you risk your privacy in the event you suddenly find yourself at odds with a member of that group. They now have details of your life that you may now wish were private and it's too late. My advice is to never share personal information online. It's the advice we give our children and it's advice we too should adhere to.

Lastly, please realize that it is virtually impossible to truly know a person without meeting them in the "real world." It is extremely easy in the online world for people to pretend to be something they're not. A person may seem to be completely trustworthy and caring but that may just be a "front." To truly know someone you must know them outside of cyberspace. You must be able to see the expressions on their face and hear the tone of their voice. Hundreds and hundreds of emails and posts may mean nothing. My last advice to not assume you know anyone online unless you meet them in person.

I believe these tips will assist you in steering clear of the issues that I recently faced online. The bottom line is that you should never feel completely secure or safe in emails or online discussion groups. Your trust could be misplaced with disastrous results.