Did you know that 3 in 10 young people in Malaysia are cyber-bullied every day? According to U-Report Malaysia’s recent statistics in (month year), 28% out of 6,953 young people in Malaysia polled recently say they have been a victim of online bullying, with 43% of them experiencing it through online games and private messaging and social media apps including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube and Twitter.

Many Malaysians are cyberbullying without releasing what they are doing, some choose to openly attack people based on their physical attributes where people set an unrealistic beauty standards such as weight limits, skin colour, body size and they just basically pick on those who are just different in general.

This can cause emotional distress just as impactful as physical abuse, or even worse, as it destroys ones self-confidence completely. More often than not, this is a projection of insecurity that is reflected through abusive behaviour.

4 in 9 young Malaysians said they know about private online group that are used to bully others. Only 2 in 7 young people in Malaysia revealed they knew of a helpline to turn to if they are victim of cyber bullying or online violence. 1 in 5 young people globally reported having skipped school due to cyber bullying in their school.

What are some actions to end the reign of terror of these seemingly virtual bullies that hide behind the screen ? Here are some :

1. Implementation of policies to protect children and young people from cyber bullying
2. Establishment and equipment of national helplines to support children and young people during their moments of need
3. Advancement of ethical standards and practices of social network provider specifically in regards to the collection, information and management of data
4. Collect or save all the information or messages related to cyber bullying so it can be used as proof to take action against the bully
5. Educating teachers and parents on how to prevent and respond to cyber bullying, particularly for vulnerable groups, as they are the ones effected the most

A shout out to all the brave people out there that has been victim of cyber bullying, only together we can truly put a stop to this. If you receive messages that make you feel uncomfortable or feel threatened through the internet or your mobile phone, do inform your parents or any responsible adult. Ignore any kind of bad statements or remarks which are not serious. But if you feel that you are in danger or threatened, do report to your parents.

You are not alone and you will never be alone, if you ever need someone to talk, Befreinders are here for you 24/7 at 03-79568145. Together we say no to cyber bullying !