Let’s be serious here, online bullying? Don’t you think we are getting a little mixed up here? In the classroom or even at work I think bullying takes place, but the only people that understand it is going on is a few co-workers. In school it is normally contained to the class or in the odd case the whole school knowing.

On line however is a different ball game. It is done on social networks where families, friends and half the world can read the rhetoric. This is not bullying, its verbal abuse and threatening behaviour. Once the insults or threats are published they remain for all to see until it is removed by the abuser.

Verbal abuse in any form can be devastating to some of us older gender, but to the young children that have no idea how to handle it they can be driven to suicide. Most have no one to turn to, and I mean the parents will be the last to know in most cases. Abuse on the social networking never comes from a friend it is always from a person that likes the safety of cyber space. The person that is being abused is now caught in a trap. They don’t want to go on the network for fear of their abusers, but they must to socialise with their real friends.

Face book has got to be the worst offender on the planet. Even when told of abuse they never act, they just come back with a page full of legal disclaimers. No one wants big brother, but until these social sites start taking responsibility for their negligence in policing their networks on line, abusive bullying will continue.

Be well Ian