Bullying can take place online through cyberbullying. With over 100 million smartphone users in Pakistan, cyberbullying is increasing but there are no cybercrime laws in Pakistan. Common forms of cyberbullying include harassment, denigration, flaming, impersonation, outing/trickery, and cyber stalking. Women in Pakistan are particularly vulnerable targets for cyberbullying due to the lack of legislation. The document provides recommendations for preventing cyberbullying such as educating oneself on internet etiquette, thinking before posting personal information online, ignoring cyberbullies, and protecting oneself by blocking bullies and changing usernames.

1. Yumna Ali

2.  Bullying is used to humiliate, threaten, oppress,
torment, and tyrannize someone. It can be
defined as a continuous misuse of power or
authority against a person or a group of people
that causes physical, emotional, and social harm
to that person or group. If this kind of attitude
and behavior happens online, it is called
cyberbullying.

3.  With over 100 million
users of smart phones in
Pakistan, Pakistan has been
included in the list of the
fastest growing countries
that are using internet
which only open the doors
for the fact that cyber
bullying is increasing as
well, yet there isn’t any
legislation for cyber crimes
in Pakistan.

4.  Harassment: Repeatedly sending offensive, rude, and insulting
messages
 Denigration: Distributing information about another that is
derogatory and untrue through posting it on a Web page,
sending it to others through email or instant messaging, or
posting or sending digitally altered photos of someone
 Flaming: Online "fighting" using electronic messages with
angry, vulgar language
 Impersonation: Breaking into an email or social networking
account and using that person's online identity to send or
post vicious or embarrassing material to/about others.
 Outing and Trickery: Sharing someone's secrets or
embarrassing information, or tricking someone into revealing
secrets or embarrassing information and forwarding it to
others
 Cyber Stalking: Repeatedly sending messages that include
threats of harm or are highly intimidating, or engaging in
other online activities that make a person afraid for his or
her safety (depending on the content of the message, it
may be illegal)
Common Forms of Cyber Bullying

5.  In Pakistan it seems that women are the easiest targets to be
bullied online, because the National Response Center for Cyber Crimes
(NR3C) does not have any legislation for cyber crimes such as hacking
and online stalking, there were several incidents that faced women
regarding these issues.

7.  Whoever with malicious intent gains unauthorized access to
any information system or data shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or
with fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees
or with both
• Cyber terrorism:
(a) the use or threat is designed to
coerce, intimidate, overawe or create
a sense of fear, panic or insecurity in
the Government or the public or a
section of the public or community or
sect or create a sense of fear or
insecurity in society; or
• (b) the use or threat is made for
the purpose or motive of advancing a
religious, ethnic or sectarian
cause; shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for
a term which may extend to fourteen
years or with fine which may extend
to fifty million rupees or with both.

8.  You Can be Randomly Picked Up by LEAs
LEAs Can Come and Confiscate Your Laptop/Mobile or
anything They Want
Your Website Can Get Blocked, if Someone
Thinks its immoral
Spamming Can Cause You a Fine of Rs. 1 Million
Publishing a Meme on Facebook can Fine you With Rs. 1
Million

9.  How to prevent cyberbullying:
 Teenagers should take the effort to educate themselves on proper
“Internet etiquette.” This includes the proper use of emails, texts
and other forms of electronic messaging. Many negative posts or
messages sent online may simply have been sent accidentally or
misinterpreted, leaving either the sender, the receiver, or both
embarrassed, humiliated, hurt, or harassed.
 1. Use Computer Courtesy:
 Whether sending an email, chatting in a chat room, or speaking in a
forum, it is important to be courteous and respectful of others
onlineone should treat others the way he or she would like to be
treated. Likewise, just as you treat others with respect in the real
world, it is important that you apply these same basic rules online
as well.

10.  4. Keep Personal Information Private:
 Posting private and personal information
in the wrong locations can have serious
consequences. Identity theft is a rapidly
growing concern and divulging too much
information could give predators and
those with bad intentions valuable
information about yourself. When you
post your personal information on sites
such as Facebook, Twitter, and other
social networking sites, it is best to
restrict your privacy settings so that
only your friends can view personal
information. If private information is
posted in a group setting, read the
guidelines prior to posting to ensure that
such information will not be disclosed to
others.
 2. Think Before Posting:
 . Remember that once entered into the
Internet, online messages, posts, pictures,
or videos, will remain there forever, and
can be viewed by a massive, unknown
online audience. With cyberbullying, one
cannot just turn off the computer and
expect everything to return back to
normal. Even if the victim disconnects
himself from the Internet or other
electronic devices, cyberbullying can weave
itself back into the victim’s school,
workplace, or home environment.

11.  Password Safety
 1. Never, ever give your password on Facebook, MySpace, Aim, network, email, or
any similar service or cell phone unlock code to a friend. Friendships sometimes don’t
last, and that password or PIN can be used against you.
 2. Remember your secret answer. When you create an online account, and it asks
you to provide an accurate answer to a question you should know ‐ don’t treat it
lightly or as a joke. Make sure it’s something you will remember months and years
from now in case you have a problem at that time.
 3. Do not use passwords based on personal information (your login name, birthdate,
address, phone number, middle name, pet’s name, etc.).
 4. Use a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and nonalphabetic
characters (symbols) if possible.

12.  . Help New Internet Users:
 Everyone was an Internet “newbie” at one
time. Many children and teen users that
gain access to social networking sites,
electronic devices, or the Internet for the
first time are unaware about how dangerous
these devices can be if abused or used
inappropriately. Although it is normal to be
excited about connecting with all of your
friends and classmates online, please be
mindful of the fact that there are others
on the Internet that abuse their privileges.
 You’ve been told “don’t talk to strangers.”
Well, people you meet on the Internet are
strangers. Other than friends you know in
“real life,” people online are not classified as
friends.
 Never agree to meet an online friend in
person. If someone asks to meet you, talk
to your parents about it.
 Do not lie about your age so you can go
somewhere on the Internet that is for
adults only.
 Do not spend excessive time on the
computer. You should partake in other
activities, exercise, and set aside time for
leisure.
 Something you see on the Internet might
make you uncomfortable or confused. Tell
your teacher or parent right away.

13.  Be Aware of What Your Kids are Doing Online
 Talk with your kids about cyberbullying and
other online issues regularly.
 Know the sites your kids visit and their
online activities. Ask where they’re going,
what they’re doing, and who they’re doing it
with.
 Tell your kids that as a responsible parent
you may review their online communications
if you think there is reason for concern.
Installing parental control filtering software
or monitoring programs are one option for
monitoring your child’s online behavior, but
do not rely solely on these tools.
 Have a sense of what they do online and in
texts. Learn about the sites they like. Try
out the devices they use.
 Ask for their passwords, but tell them you’ll
only use them in case of emergency.
 Ask to “friend” or “follow” your kids on
social media sites or ask another trusted
adult to do so.
 Encourage your kids to tell you immediately
if they, or someone they know, is being
cyberbullied. Explain that you will not take
away their computers or cell phones if they
confide in you about a problem they are
having.

14.  8. Be An Active Bystander:
 Bystanders play a key role in stopping and preventing cyberbullying. Cyberbullies depend on
bystanders to support them or do nothing to stop them. The real leaders are those who choose to
take an active role when they witness bullying and decide not go along with the crowd.
 If you witness cyberbullying, do not join in, nor stand by idly.
 Document if you see cyberbullying online, and when
 Don’t encourage the behavior, it is easy to fall under the peer pressure, but stand up for yourself!
 Don’t forward hurtful messages
 Don’t laugh at inappropriate jokes
 Tell an adult they trust
 Do not support cyberbullies, stand up for what is right and report cyberbullying cases to reliable
sources – “report center”.
 Educate yourself on effective preventative measures you can take

15.  What to do if you are a cyberbullying victim:
 . You CANNOT Just Turn Off the Computer:
 Those who do not completely understand the
phenomenon often wonder, “What’s the big deal?
Why don’t kids just turn off their computers?”
However, those who make this statement do not
realize that the process is not so simple. There
are a number of reasons why “clicking the exit
button” or “turning off the computer” simply
aren’t viable options for those being cyberbullied.
 First, why should a victim be required to
interrupt an online experience because of someone
else’s maliciousness? It is not appropriate to
blame the victim for another’s aggressive actions.
No one should have to turn off his or her
computer due to harassment received online, just
like no one should avoid going to school because
of school bullying.
 Cyberbullying can continue regardless of whether
the target is online. For example, a bully could
set up a defamatory Web page or spread rumors
via social networking sites. Unfortunately,
mistreatment still continues and the bully
perpetuates his assaults and cruelty, even when
the victim is offline.

16.  Ignore CyberBullies:
 Do not reply to his or her posts,
texts, etc. Along these same lines,
teens that experience cyberbullying
online are encouraged to keep a log
of journal of all their experiences.
Note specific incidents with as much
detail as possible, including who was
involved, where and when it
happened, how they responded, who
witnessed the incident, and what
was done to prevent its
reoccurrence. If the cyberbullying is
supplemented with bullying offline,
be sure to record all of these
activities as well.
3. Protect Yourself:
Block the cyberbully on social
networking sites, emails, electronic
devices, and so on. The less contact
you have with the cyberbully, the less
damage he or she can do
Change your emails, screen names, or
other usernames that the cyberbully is
contacting you via. Take care in giving
them out to family and friends whom
you know you can trust, so that you
will not need to worry about receiving
additional antagonizing messages from
those who are cyberbullying you.
Keep your social networking profiles on
private: make sure not to add anyone
you do not know or do not trust to
your profile

17.  . Educate Yourself About Cyberbullying
 It is important, and in some cases required, that schools educates their
students and staff on a regular basis regarding the nature, and
consequences of, and prohibitions and penalties associated with, all forms
of cyberbullying, and bullying, so that constant and updated awareness of
the problem is promoted. Education should occur through the attendance
of training workshops and seminars, as well as formalized continuing
education initiatives for all members of the school community. Educate
yourself on cyberbullying prevention strategies!