What is the definition of cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is a type of harassment or bullying that takes place online or on digital devices. It can occur on social media, websites, apps, or gaming platforms. Cyberbullying can include sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. Examples of cyberbullying behavior can include: spreading rumors, posting embarrassing photos or videos of someone, making personal threats, impersonating someone, sending hate messages, or engaging in cyberstalking. Cyberbullying can be extremely damaging to someone’s social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing, and in some cases can lead to safety risks. In the District of Columbia, bullying or harassment of any kind is prohibited in schools, and the same is true for cyberbullying. According to the District’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education, cyberbullying is defined as “the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.” Such activity constitutes a violation of the District’s Anti-bullying and Anti-harassment Policy and can result in serious consequences if not addressed.
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