What Just Happened?

Cyberbullying, cyberharassment, and cyberstalking are all terms for ways in which those who wish to hurt others, for whatever reason, can use online tools to do so. In Caroline's case, the bully is a man she went out with a few times who decided to seek revenge because she rejected him. He used various technologies to get at Caroline, including phone calls, instant messages, text messages, and e-mail.

For Caroline, her harasser was somebody she knew. That is not always the case. Cyberbullies don't have to confront their victims in person or even identify themselvesthat's part of the appeal. They can hide in the shadows and threaten. That anonymity can be even more frightening for the victim who doesn't even know who the tormentor is.

What Is Cyberbullying?

Bullying has been around forever, but when you add the tools the Internet provides, bullies can harass victims through a variety of media, 24 hours a day, in private or in very public ways. They can

• Instant message, text message, call, or e-mail insults, accusations, and threats

• Send modified photos of people to their friends and family

• Leave rude and threatening comments on social networking sites

• Create fake blogs, pretending to be the victim to stir up trouble with friends, to entice a predator, to post embarrassing videos, and so on