Photo by Bruno Gomiero on Unsplash

Written by: Iffah Suraya

Let’s be real: Bullying isn’t new. It happens in schools, workplaces, and in our own homes, and remains a serious problem with major consequences, such as physical health issues, behavioral problems, and, of course, psychological challenges that last into adulthood, such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and loneliness (read here for tips on how to overcome loneliness).

Put simply, bullying is defined as an intentional negative behavior that is repeated and involves an imbalance of social or physical power[1]. And here’s the thing: Being bullied not only puts us at risk for poor emotional development, but also cognitive, social, and identity development[2]. Cognitively speaking, the stress from bullying affects concentration[3] and promotes negative thought patterns[4]. Socially speaking, those who have been bullied are prone to self-isolation and poorer social skills. Identity wise, our self-image and self-worth get disrupted.

With so many negative consequences, it’s shocking and worrying that bullying is still rampant[5]. What’s more, these days, it happens online too.

Just like other forms of bullying, cyberbullying, which happens online, is on the rise[6]. Researchers define cyberbullying as “any aggressive act intended to cause harm (and) distress (bullying) via electronic communication technologies (which is) often repeated over time and reflects a power imbalance”[7]. Coercion, humiliation, deception, threats, vengeance, and any type of narcissistic behavior are examples of bullying that take place online.

That being said, categorically-speaking, the most common types of cyberbullying include posting private information about a person or company online ie. unauthorized access to information (doxxing), sharing private intimate, sexual, & sensitive material without a person’s consent over the Internet (revenge porn), threatening, frightening, & harassing someone via the Internet (cyberstalking), creating a fake identity online to deceive another person (online impersonation), and disrupting any online community on purpose by posting offensive & provocative content (trolling).

But what does one do when faced with the above? Where does one go?

In Malaysia, you can take legal action based on the following legislation:

1. Defamation Act 1957

• Those who believe they have been defamed online are able to file a lawsuit under the Defamation Act 1957[8]. Defamation refers to any statement that may injure the reputation of another person, causing them to be subjected to hatred, contempt, or ridicule. This Act recognizes two forms of defamation: libel (written or published defamatory statements) and slander (spoken defamatory statements).

2. Communications and Multimedia Act 1998

• Those who receive threatening or harassing messages, for instance on social media (or any other form of electronic communication), can file a lawsuit under Section 233 of this Act[9]. Generally, this Act provides guidelines for content standards to prevent offensive, indecent, obscene, or false content from being broadcast or disseminated, prohibiting content that threatens public order and national security or offends public morality. Specifically, Section 233 criminalizes online content that is obscene, indecent, false, menacing, or offensive in character with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another person[10].

Legal matters aside, it also helps to take control of the toll cyberbullying has taken on you or anyone you know. Here are some steps you can take to protect your mental health from cyberbullying:

1. Reach out to people you trust so that you feel supported. Shame may prevent a person from doing so[11]. Just know that emotional pain is a normal part of being human, and that reaching out to the right people is a great idea.

2. Attend counseling sessions with a mental health professional. They can help you work on any symptoms of mental health problems due to cyberbullying. Slowly regain your confidence, trust, and emotional well-being. Check out our informative article on how to improve self-esteem. You may also reach out to our team of counselors & coaches for sessions.

3. Take everyday one step at a time, focusing on doing what’s within your control, such as carrying out productive activities, reflecting on your own truth, managing how much time you spend online, consciously regulating your emotions (here’s how to do so), practicing deep breathing and mindfulness, etc. You may also block, report, deactivate, and adjust privacy settings, as you see fit.

4. Connecting with those who have been through the same kinds of experiences can also empower us to cope better[12].

Without a doubt, due to their widespread impact, both bullying and cyberbullying deserve the same urgent attention as other world problems such as poverty, natural disasters, and political instability, and cyberbullying deserves the same amount of attention as bullying.

If you have recently experienced cyberbullying, having sessions with a mental health professional is a good place to start, in addition to taking possible legal action and protecting yourself from further harm online. Not convinced about psychotherapy & counseling? Read this article on why psychotherapy matters.

References

      1. Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

2. Olweus D. (1978). Aggression in the schools. Bullies and whipping boys. Hemisphere.

3. Nakamoto, J., & Schwartz, D. (2010). Is peer victimization associated with academic achievement? A meta-analytic review. Social Development, 19(2), 221-242.

4. Gini, G., & Pozzoli, T. (2009). Association between bullying and psychosomatic problems: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 123(3), 1059-1065.

5. Azuar, A., & Wahab, S. (2024, April 23). Bully, a problem at school and home. The Malaysian Reserve. https://themalaysianreserve.com/2024/04/23/bully-a-problem-at-school-and-home/

6. Davies, S. (2020, May 6). Revenge porn soars in Europe’s coronavirus lockdown as student fights back . Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-europe-porn-trfn-idUSKBN22H2I6/

7. Cyberbullying Across the Globe: Gender, Family, and Mental Health, Springer (2016)

8. Laws of Malaysia. (1957). Defamation Act 1957 (Act 286). Available at: Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia

9. Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). (1998). Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588). Available at: MCMC Official Website

10. Official Portal Ministry of Communications. (n.d.). Govt Welcomes Ideas To Improve Section 233 Of The Communications And Multimedia Act. Komunikasi.gov.my. https://www.komunikasi.gov.my/en/public/news/23606-govt-welcomes-ideas-to-improve–233-of-the-communications-and-multimedia-act#:~:text=%20233%20criminalises%20online%20content,to%20one%20year%2C%20or%20both.

11. Wang, J., Nansel, T. R., & Iannotti, R. J. (2011). Cyber and traditional bullying: differential association with depression. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 48(4), 415–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.07.012

12. Yin, X. Q., Wang, L. H., Zhang, G. D., Liang, X. B., Li, J., Zimmerman, M. A., & Wang, J. L. (2017). The promotive effects of peer support and active coping on the relationship between bullying victimization and depression among chinese boarding students. Psychiatry research, 256, 59–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.06.037

Written by :

Iffah Suraya

Lifelong Learner and Mental Health Counselor

Alumni of Boston University, USA, and University of Malaya, Malaysia