Steemit Engagement Challenge S4-W1 | My view on Cyber Bullying - by @bongk

_{Let's stop cyber bullying}

Here we go again, another season of the Steemit engagement challenge. It's been a long run for us all and we have met new people, had new friends and acquaintances all during this period of engagements

I am very glad that Steem Cameroon got to host a contest titled "My View on Cyber Bullying"
I will be pleased to give my ideas and following the guidelines of the contest I will be answering as we go so please stay tuned and I hope you learn something from my post today.

_{Let's talk about Cyber bullying}

I define Cyber Bullying by defining the words Cyber and Bullying separately and then bringing it together so that we get a full understanding of the word.
Starting with the word Cyber, this is a word relating to the use of computers, computer networks, phones and internet connections.
Now Bullying is a term used to describe an abuse or a level of mistreatment of any form on someone less powerful by someone more powerful.
When you combine the 2 definitions we can define Cyber Bullying as the use of Computers,computer networks,phones and internet connections by the powerful to abuse and cause all forms of mistreatment of any form on someone less powerful.

In addition to the definition Cyber bullying comes in the following forms.

• Threatening to hack into someone's device unless they comply with your demands.
• Threatening to leak out someone's secret vidoes or information just to either extort from them or just have fun with them.
• Any form of spamming somebody's email or social media platforms just to make a statement.
• Attack messages from social groups like religious, sexual or any other.
• Deliberately hacking into someone's technological device to steal his or her files.

_{Let's talk experience}

As a matter of fact I've been a victim of cyber bullying for a long time now and it's just recently that I rose up to the challenge of stopping it.

My instance was very traumatic and recent.
So here's how it went down, one day a my phone rang and it was an unknown number, so I didn't have no choice but answer to know who it was, I had to do so because I receiving calls from my friends who I didn't have their number.
This guy starts by telling me my full name and precising where I live and started saying that if I don't send him some money into his Mobile money account, he will abduct me or attack my family. I will obliged to send him some money because of the fear of seeing my family get hurt, I sent that perpetrator 5000 FCFA which is approximately 37.5STEEM that day even though I didn't have it I had to borrow and send it to him.
That day was saved but the week later, he called again I had to send again, and all this while I didn't tell anyone about it because of the fear getting anyone involved. The abuse went on for 4 weeks until one day I asked myself what will happen if I stopped picking his calls and I answered nothing, then I stopped picking his calls, but he called with another number so when I picked up and found out it was him, I had to stand up to him by telling him off, letting him know that I will report the case to the police by sending all the recordings and the number he used to call me for tracking.
Once I did that he never called me back I felt so relieved, once I was expecting he'd call again at his usual time but he didn't.
That was my experience of Cyber Bullying and how I was able to escape it.

The said person here being me was affected by this instance in the following ways;
Insecurity
For that period of time I started watching my back, seeing everyone as a suspect and staying on high alert.
I started having this notion that I was being watched and it drove me crazy.

Distracted
I was no longer concentrating on my work, I kept on thinking about the incidence and the fact that he was trying to get my family.

Lack of Peace
It was the worse feeling I had during that time since I was constantly being threatened I had to lose my peace, I acted strangely.

Emotional
My emotions were also affected most all the feelings I had due to this event made my emotions flick from happy to sad then angry and so on.

Right now i feel very safe with steemit, I haven't been cyber bullied or ever had the feeling of being cyber bullied ever since I joined the steemit platform and i hope it stays that way for my time on steemit.

Want I've learnt so far about my experience with Cyber Bullying is that i shouldn't let my self be pushed around by someone who hides behind a device and threatenes my life because if he knew b3tter he would have faced me himself and not hide behind a phone to give me demands.
What I will advice everyone reading is that they should not respond to such individuals, they should always involved the authorities what faced with such event.
In cases of attack texts, always maintain balance and don't engagement to such texts.

I would like to thank the steemit team and Steem Cameroon for this opportunity to express my feelings it's like this topic came at a right time.
I also wish everyone the best of luck in this challenge.
Please don't forget to upvote and comment

All pictures gotten from Pexels.com
Cc:
@rockana
@nanbzu