As the Internet has continued to evolve and and more people are online than ever before in history all over the world, so has the problem of online harassment, also known as cyberbullying. Unfortunately, since it is relatively simple to stay anonymous online, cyberbullyies can get away with their harassment without any repercussions, and that anonymity also makes it more attractive to keep the bullying going for a longer period of time.

A recent study from the Pew Internet Research Project published some sobering findings about the phenomenon of cyberbullying, with 73% of respondents reporting that they have seen someone being harassed in some way online, and 40% personally experiencing cyberbullying or some sort of online harassment. More from the study:

• 60% of internet users said they had witnessed someone being called offensive names
• 53% had seen efforts to purposefully embarrass someone
• 25% had seen someone being physically threatened
• 24% witnessed someone being harassed for a sustained period of time
• 19% said they witnessed someone being sexually harassed
• 18% said they had seen someone be stalked

Who is most likely to be harassed on the Web? 

Age and gender are the two key factors that contribute to your chances of being harassed online. For example, if you're a young woman between the ages of 18-24, you're more likely to be stalked online and become the target of online sexual harassment than any other demographic group.

 

However, the study showed the men are more likely than women to experience at least one of the different "elements" of online harassment; this could include physical threats, name calling, public shaming, etc. 

In addition, if you tend to spend a lot of time online, the likelihood of you being harassed at some point while online is higher than other people who might not spend as much time as you do on the Web. This especially pertains to people who share more information about themselves online: anything from job profiles to personal websites to social media profiles. 

Who are the cyberbullies? 

If you've ever experienced any kind of unpleasant incidents online, the chances are very high that you didn't know the person who decided to make your day miserable. The study findings bear this out: 38% of those polled said they didn't know who their harassers were, and another 26% reported that they didn't know the real identity of who was involved. 

Where does the harassment take place online?

Just going online doesn't necessarily mean that you're guaranteed to be harassed or bullied. However, there are certain areas on the Web where this behavior is more prone to happen than others:

• 66% of internet users who have experienced online harassment said their most recent incident occurred on a social networking site or app
• 22% mentioned the comments section of a website
• 16% said online gaming
• 16% said in a personal email account
• 10% mentioned a discussion site such as reddit
• 6% said on an online dating website or app

What's the best way to respond to cyberbullies and online harrassment?

Have you heard the expression "don't feed the trolls"? This particular phrase refers specifically to online harassment: instead of engaging with the person(s), it's best to ignore them instead of giving them more fuel for their fire. Every incident is different and it's difficult to prescribe a "one size fits all" solution for online harassment. However, while most of us will experience some sort of unpleasant situation online at some point in our lives, we can choose to deal with these people more decisively. Here are basic steps that many people have found effective:

• 7% of those who responded to their most recent incident with online harassment confronted the person online
• 44% unfriended or blocked the person responsible
• 22% reported the person responsible to the website or online service
• 18% discussed the problem online to draw support for themselves
• 13% changed their username or deleted their profile
• 10% withdrew from an online forum
• 8% stopped attending certain offline events or places
• 5% reported the problem to law enforcement

Have you been harassed online?

If you've been the subject of online harassment (name calling, aggressive debates, personal attacks, etc.) and you would like to share how you dealt with your cyberbullies, please share with us on the official About Web Search Facebook page.