Bullies hit the net
Some victims are picked out of jealousy or a desire for revenge
RUINING a person’s reputation is all in a day’s work for bullies who have gone online to stalk, harass and humiliate their victims. Bullying via the Internet is a world-wide problem that Cybersecurity Malaysia says has reached a “worrying level” in the country.
PETALING JAYA: “Someone is trying to ruin my reputation, career and life ... Please I am sick and feel really down,” so wrote an Internet user to Cyber999 Health Centre.
Another user had her naked pictures posted, along with defamatory false information, by someone using her name.
These are just two of the victims of bullies who have gone online, using social networking websites like Facebook to stalk, harass and humiliate.
The defamatory words and pictures and sometimes videos that they post, which can be shared by millions, are intended to harm their targets, many chosen at random and others picked out of jealousy or a desire for revenge.
Cybersecurity Malaysia received 952 complaints over the past two years, nearly 500 of them in 2011.
“But this is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg, with many cases unreported,” said its chief executive officer Lt-col Prof Datuk Husin Jazri.
The agency, under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, found that Internet users between the ages of 26 and 40 were the most targeted group, followed by those between 19 and 25.
He, however, stressed that people of all ages are potential victims.
“Some of the reports that our help centre received were from senior citizens,” said Husin.
Cyber bullying is a worldwide problem which is very serious in countries like the US where almost half of all teens are reported to be affected and a few have even been driven to suicide.
Husin said cyber bullying was already at a “worrying level” in Malaysia and believed that one way to thwart it was to educate Internet users on how to be safe online, especiallywhen sharing photos or videos of themselves.
“Although sharing is caring, you should not be careless about it. Never let your guarddown. Be sure ofwhat you are sharing and with whom you’re sharing it,” he said.
Husin advised users to keep their passwords “secure and confidential”.
“It is also important for them to understand the security and privacy settings on the social networking site they use,” he said.
“The education (on Internet safety) must start early – as soon as a person learns to use a computer or a smartphone.”