As a student, you’ve already got so much on your hands, tests, lectures, pop-quizzes and thousands of books to sift through before the end of the term. The only way to relieve this academia-induced frustration is to go online and enjoy the wonders of the internet. There are multiple things for you to do on the web. Social media buzz, what’s hot and what’s not, interactive gaming zones, funny YouTube videos and home-made vines, worldwide news, art forums, etc., not to mention sitcom streaming portals, like Netflix and online channel line-ups, courtesy of Cable packages and deals you should be totally taking advantage of, if you aren’t already. The list is never-ending. It thoroughly refreshes your mind and makes you go back to studying with a new focused approach.

The major surprise comes when these innocent pleasures of yours are rendered sour. When someone hacks into your smartphone and posts your highly private stuff publically on your online profile, exposing you to shame and ridicule on social media. This form of personal targeting, conducted over the medium of the internet, is called cyberbullying. Moreover, the world keeps progressing virtually and this crime is constantly on the rise to our utter misfortune.

You do not deserve to be bullied in any way, by anyone, either physically or virtually. Even though cyberbullies have the advantage of anonymity there are ways to beat them at their own game, to teach them a lesson and to make all their attacks null and void. If you’ve been a victim of cyberbullying and as a student, you don’t know how to deal with it, then worry not. The following course of action will guide you about how to respond to cyberbullies effectively and responsibly.

Don’t Stay Quiet, Speak Up

Suppose a picture of you in your worst state possible is sent to your entire address list with a controversial line. That’s when the phone starts ringing. Notifications upon notifications of people asking, ranting and jeering. The next day, you’re made fun of everywhere you go, in the corridors, the classrooms, the courtyard and the bathrooms. You’re victimized beyond belief and this leads to social paralysis, which is exactly what the cyberbully intended in the first place.

So, what are you going to do about it? Stay quiet and hide in the shadows? No. You need to speak out. Verbalize this attack as much as you can with courage, integrity and strength. I know this might sound difficult but it sure will not be worse than suffering in silence.

Channel Reason Instead of Hateful Passion

Once you stand up against cyberbullying by voicing your concerns and talking to people about your personal experience, you need to make sure that you’re not getting carried away in this battle. Use your head instead of your heart in this process. Keep in mind that you need to tread carefully, reasonably and systematically. Plan your strategy tactfully.

Do not try to retaliate against virtual bullies by applying their own moves on them, i.e., using personal information for extortion, sending offensive comments, posting private information publically, etc., because this way you’ll just be fighting fire with fire, not helping anyone and aggravating the situation even further. Moreover, there would be no difference between you and the bully and you’ll end up becoming what you’re fighting against.

So, always opt for a cool and calculated approach instead of a blind and fiery passion when dealing with cyberbullying.

Reinforce Your Vulnerabilities

Think logically. Introspect. There must have been a loophole in your online accounts, which the cyberbully has used to spy on your information and manipulate it. Check your channels for security gaps and then once you find them, reinforce them with anti-spyware software.

On your social media accounts, see if you have set the privacy setting to public or restricted. If the privacy has been compromised in any way, bring it back to a safety threshold.

Also, test the strength of your passwords, which should be complex enough with symbols, letters and digits. They should not be easily predictable or remembered.

Restrict and Obstruct Access to Your Accounts

After fortifying your online presence, block any suspicious users from your accounts and successfully obstruct their access to your sensitive data. Most social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other connectivity apps, like WhatsApp, do offer this kind of option to users. So, kick the cyberbullies out of your life and close all doors on them. Give them no chance to pry. Set up your defenses like a pro and protect your future.

Keep Track of the Abuse

Act like a good detective and maintain evidence of all kinds of slandering and instances of bullying that have been leveled your way. Take screenshots, if necessary. Why? Because this record will give you an edge in your campaign against bringing the cyberbully down.

Contact the Experts

You’ve done everything you could on your own. You talked to an adult about security breach and the consequent bullying. You made your online accounts super-secure with the help of software and doubled up your defenses. Now, it’s time you took the concerned authorities into confidence and launched an offensive against the respective cyberbully. Hand them the collected evidence of online targeting and shaming to make the countermeasures concrete. Leave it up to them to use their advanced ways of locating the bully and bringing him or her to justice.

Spread the Word

What happened to you was nothing short of terrible. Nobody should have to go through this ever in their lives. So, consider it your duty to forewarn others about maintaining internet security shields and inspire those already victimized to speak out and follow a rational course of action like you did. The more students are aware of this phenomenon, the better they’ll able to counter it.

So, use the aforementioned directions to successfully pull yourself out of the spider web of cyberbullying. It will help you and your family from other such incidents in the long run.