Ghyslain Raza has become one of the most famous victims of cyberbullying. In November 2002, the Quebec teen made a video of himself wielding a golf ball retriever as a lightsaber as he pretended to be Star Wars character Darth Maul.
Raza filmed himself doing Jedi fighting manoeuvers while alone in his high school’s drama class as part of a school project. The following April classmates found the tape and uploaded it onto the Internet. Within weeks Raza’s video became one of the most downloaded video clips ever, earning him the nickname of the Star Wars Kid. Unfortunately for Ghyslain Raza, the video clip was not a flattering one, showing his lack of athletic skill and his portly figure.
As a result of the video, Raza was ridiculed and humiliated to the point that he dropped out of school and underwent psychiatric care. In July 2003, Raza’s parents filed a $250,000 lawsuit against the four teens who uploaded the clip onto the Internet.
Examples of Cyberbullying
- Sending a hurtful text message to someone’s cell phone.
- Sending a threatening e-mail to someone saying you are going to kill him or her.
- Entering malicious messages in a Web site’s guestbook.
- Spreading spiteful gossip on an online chat room.
- Uploading humiliating video clips.
- Sending hateful instant messages (such as MSN where people type messages to one another online in real time.)
- An online journal (often called a blog) kept by a student that insults classmates.
- Conducting online voting polls of classmates (for example, ugliest classmate, girl most likely to sleep around, or biggest loser).
- Using a camera phone to take a revealing or unkind picture of someone and posting it on the Internet. Or using a regular photo and altering it in a demeaning way before uploading it onto the Web.
Bill Belsey, the world’s foremost expert on cyberbullying and creator of www.cyberbullying.ca, shared the story of a stocky young man in Japan. He was getting changed after gym class in the locker room when a classmate took a cell phone photo without the young man’s knowledge. By the time the youth finished dressing and got to his next class, the photo of his naked self was circulating through the school.
Why is Cyberbullying Devastating?
As Bill Belsey explained in a phone interview with the writer, “In the schoolyard and where traditional forms of bullying take place, at least you have a chance of trying to avoid the bully or steer clear of them in some way.
But cyberbullying has the ability to reach into wherever anyone is connected to the wired world which in this day literally means anywhere as we have this connectivity in our hip pocket.” For victims there is no longer a safe place to escape to. Cyberbullies have come into their homes and all other areas where technology reigns and for Canada’s youth, that is almost everywhere.
Avoid Being a Victim
Discuss with children the dangers of being online and the risks of using other technology.
- Only share your e-mail address, instant messaging information, cell phone number, screen names and passwords with people you know well and trust.
- When establishing an e-mail account, signing up to join a chat room or registering anywhere online, never disclose any personal information.
- Never say anything in an e-mail, text message, or other medium that you wouldn’t want everyone to read. It is not as secure as you think.
- Never open downloads or messages from someone you do not know.
- Use filters on your computer.
- Be courteous when online. Don’t be rude or type anything in all capitals which is equivalent to yelling in someone’s face.
- Keep the computer in a high traffic area of your house, not the basement or a bedroom. It’s easier to monitor what your child is doing online.
- Block senders of unwanted communication.
- Trust your instincts.
- Remember that people online may not be who they claim to be.
- Never meet someone in person that you initially “met” on the Internet. If you do, take along a parent or trusted adult.
- Parents and kids should create an online contract to emphasize ethical behaviour when using the computer. When rules about computer usage are made clear, undesirable behaviour rates decrease. Examples of contracts can be found here.
Never Respond To Cyberbullies
What cyberbullies want to achieve by taunting others technologically is to have power and control over them. By responding to messages, cyberbullies know what they are doing is effective and encourages them to continue. They will use a response from a victim to continue their cruelty as it continues their reign of empowerment. Never respond to a cyberbully.
Rationale of a Cyberbully
Cyberbullies thrive on the anonymity of the Internet, cell phones, etc. They hide their true identities with a technological shield. They feel a sense of satisfaction or gratification from the power they believe they exert over others. They want their victims to feel terrified and vulnerable. The bullying itself is usually more about the bully than the victim.
These are often kids who wouldn’t bully peers when face to face but feel secure when hiding behind actions they will likely never be accountable for. Unlike regular bullies, cyberbullies do not witness the devastation the victim feels and are immune to the terror and impact their actions cause. Cyberbullies thrive on the knowledge that they don’t have to suffer consequences for their cruel actions as they believe they will never get caught.
Last Thoughts
Belsey stresses the importance of taking cyberbullying seriously. “We can’t just pass this off and say it is kids being kids. There are kids who are committing suicide over this, there are kids who are scared to go to school. It’s a horrific situation. The cost of technology is coming way down, so much it is coming more and more into the reach of our kids. That can be a good thing but along with that comes some things that people need to really concerned about and cyberbullying is one of them.”
For more information, check out:
- What to do When Your Child is the Victim of a Cyberbully
- Technology Used by Cyberbullies
- Cyberbullying Glossary
- How Schools Handle Cyberbullying
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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