by Vanessa Cort
CHANCES are that those of us who have never been bullied at school know of instances of bullying.

Children, who can be very cruel, will make fun of others for just being different, whether in size, speech, dress, behaviour or a host of things which we, as adults, may find unimportant.

Growing up in the 1960s in a small town in Northern England, I was the only black child in my school and in the early years of my attendance there I was bullied mercilessly about my kinky hair, my broad nose, thick lips and, of course, my dark skin.

Many days I would dread going to school and would rush home at the end of the day, head for my room and let out my tears of anger and frustration.

However, I knew I had to ‘tough it out’ and so would either ignore the bullies or, occasionally, answer them and try to defend myself, showing open defiance and refusing to back down.

Luckily, I lived with a cousin who was at the top of her profession, the first black Matron of a maternity hospital in the UK. She was fiercely independent and a wonderful role model for me.

I watched how she carried herself with pride, confidence and an almost ethereal composure and I resolved to try to do the same. I would not be cowed or forced into apologising for my skin colour or my facial features.

I gradually gained acceptance at the school, though this was initially because my athletic abilities became known and I was sought after by the three Greek houses in our school. Naturally, I joined the champion house.

By this time, too, my fellow students had grown to know me and it was a classic case of ‘if you can’t beat them join them’. I began to make real friends who would then support me in rebutting those who were still openly prejudiced bullies.

And this all took place decades before the advent of the internet and social media, which has taken bullying to a whole new level, causing untold psychological harm to teens the world over. This is especially true for those who have become obsessed with the various social media platforms.

Termed ‘cyberbullying’, it has been defined by UNICEF as “…bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms and mobile phones”.

Unlike face-to-face bullying, this cyber method means that, as writers for Idaho Youth Ranch point out: “…bullies can say something harmful without having to see the physical reactions of their victim or visually experience the effects of their words”.

However, while cyber bullies tend to be happy hiding behind a cloak of anonymity, they do leave a digital footprint which can be traced and they can be instantly blocked and reported to the social media site.

In recent years, cyberbullying has increased to the extent that social media providers have been taken to task for not adequately monitoring and controlling posts.

Social media giant, Instagram, has been the latest to attract attention, with allegations being made that teens are constantly being bullied on their platform. It’s also alleged that Instagram, which is owned by META, has done little to prevent this or address complaints.

Taylor Lorenz, the writer, says, “Teenagers have always been cruel to one another. But Instagram provides a uniquely powerful set of tools to do so. The velocity and size of the distribution mechanism allow rude comments or harassing images to go viral within hours”.

In addition, both Twitter and Instagram make it easy to set up anonymous profiles. Many interactions on the apps are hidden from the eyes of adults, who often do not understand the intricacies of the platforms.

And for those who are unsure of the scope of cyberbullying, The Bullying Helpline, based in the UK, gives a comprehensive list which includes spreading malicious and abusive rumours, repeated harassment, intimidation, stalking, blackmail, posting embarrassing or humiliating images, setting up a false profile and catfishing.

The Group, which works closely with the police, Facebook and other social media service providers, is focusing on ending this activity and urges parents to step up their vigilance of their children’s use of mobile phones or computers.

They advise that bullies be blocked and reported and that instances of bullying be documented, such as a screenshot of the message or photo.

The overriding message is that cyberbullying is destructive and should neither be practised nor tolerated, for not only is it morally and ethically wrong but it is also illegal.