Consequences

(stopbullying.gov, 2015)

The impact of cyberbullying on the victim

• How a person responds to being cyberbullied is individual for everyone.

• Various responses, as mentioned in “The Issue” post are common.  Some of these common reactions are; feeling alone or isolated, anxious, scared, miserable and powerless as well as sadness, ashamed, rejected and/or hopeless.

• Cyberbullying is often unprovoked and unfair.  Therefore, often the victim responds in anger, as the cyberbullying attack is unwarranted.

• Cyberbullying can impact many aspects of the victims’ life including their relationships with friends and family, their performance in school or in their sporting interests to name a few.

• Cyberbullying can lead to anxiety and depression. (Beyond Blue, 2015)

The impact of cyberbullying on the perpetrator

• “Whilst cyberbullying doesn't appear in any Australian laws, the actions which we call cyberbullying could fall under other laws, such as stalking, harassment and defamation.” (ThinkUKnow, n.d.)

• “In Australia, the age of criminal responsibility is 10 years old which means that if you are 10 years old or above, you could be held criminally responsible for your actions.” (ThinkUKnow, n.d.)

• Vilification is a crime which can be committed via the internet or email and is described in more detail in the previous blog post.  In Queensland it falls under the anti-discrimination act 1991 – sect 131A. (Australasian Legal Information Institute, 2015)

• If convicted of vilification, the maximum penalty for an individual is six months imprisonment (Australasian Legal Information Institute, 2015).