hey im doing an assignment on cyber bullying and i was just wondering could you answer these few questions

How can you stop it?

Where can you find cyber bullies?

If you have been bullied how can I get help?

Are you are cyber bully? how do you know?

How to handle being cyber bullied?

How can you stand up to your bullies?

xxx thanks muchly

Emma Whitton, NSW, Australia

We don't normally answer homework questions simply because the point of homework is for you to do the research and the thinking. If you simply copy what someone else has written you won't learn.

But I will give you some thoughts which you might want to add to your own and those of your family and friends.

You should check the prior HelpStation question How can I stop Cyber Bullying? and the reader comments there.

Cyber bullying is using any of the new, electronic forms of communication to upset someone else. Although it's usually thought of as being between young people, it can just as easily be between older people.

Typical ways of cyber bullying include text messaging, phone calls, blogging and interfering with web pages and sites.

One way to tell if something you do is cyber bullying is to ask yourself what you'd feel if someone did it to you. But even then, you may be "tough" and don't think it would bother you.

Another test is how you do it. If you not only do something but then talk about it with friends or if you plan it with your friends then that's pretty plain isn't it. If you enjoy making another person uncomfortable or upset, that's bullying.

If you're not an adult but you're being bullied you must tell some adults. That could be parents, school teachers, club leaders and so on.

If you're an adult and you're being bullied it's harder because adults are supposed to be able to deal with things and sometimes you might feel like a wimp for complaining, but in the end you have to do something. Talk to trusted friends for advice.

An easy way to reduce cyber bullying is to restrict the access by bullies. Ban them from sending emails to you and don't list them as friends on social networking sites. Be more careful about handing out your private details.

Now, go and do some more research.

Paul Zucker