Bullying and Us

Bullying can come in many different forms and effects everyone (not just the "sensitive" or "thin-skinned" people). And people can be bullied for anything: their art, their looks, their gender, a disability, their opinion, their sexuality, their religion, etc. There are no set boundaries that govern who can be bullied and what a bully will choose to focus on. And in the age of technology, bullies have many resources at their disposal to be very effective at completely destroying a person with very little effort...

"Threats, name-calling, teasing, spreading rumors, purposefully trying to make someone look foolish,
mean emails or comments, posting embarrassing content about someone, creating websites or pages to
single out a person for a negative reason, creating accounts in someone else’s name or identity and pretending
to be your target and have them act vastly foolish or hateful are ALL bullying..."

Hisa

Everyone at some time in their life will be bullied. This may happen on the internet or not. This may happen at work, at school, at a restaurant or even in your own home. Even bullies can be bullied... and as a matter of fact, studies have shown that many bullies were once victims of bullying themselves and began bullying as a way to defend themselves or a way to cope with the abuse from their own bullies!

And sometimes you may meet a person who is behaving like a bully but who isn't doing it on purpose. Sometimes people say hurtful things by accident or without knowing that it will have a negative effect on someone. On the internet, this is especially true since we can't see each other. We are all invisible fingers typing on a keyboard behind a monitor. A real bully or accidental bully can only see what you type... they can't know or feel your real emotions. They can't SEE or EXPERIENCE it.


No one deserves to be bullied... Ever. It doesn't matter if you are being bullied by a family member, a person from school, a co-worker, or someone you don't even know online. NO ONE has the right to threaten you, make fun of you, call you names, spread rumors (or even truthful information you don't want made public) about you, etc. If you think you are being bullied on deviantART, there are many options for you:

• Block the deviantART member
• Hide their comments
• Send a report to the Help Desk

Just take note that the BEST WAY to deal with a bully or bullying is to NOT respond to them. Any kind of response to a bully or a bullying situation only gives that person (or group of people) attention - and that is usually what they want. Help your friends by giving them encouragement, not by communicating with a bully to defend them. Educate the community about using the block tool and about hiding unwanted comments. And never ever, for any reason, argue with a bully (no matter who they are bullying: you or a friend).

"Bullying is never fun and it really hurts to be on the receiving end. In my experience bullying is done by someone with a low self esteem who believes they need to tear someone down in order to build themselves up. This is the saddest lie a person can tell themselves. What they should be doing is looking at their strengths and write down 10 or more things they're the best at, no matter how long it takes them. Then they should re-read that list every day and strive to build their confidence instead of tearing others down... Never let someone who's having a bad day ruin your life. You're in control of how you react and you're in control of being better instead of bitter."

AJ333

"I have been mildly bullied, and to handle it, I try my best to never take anything offensive too seriously. Letting it seep into your brain can really leave a mark."

faerismoka

Terminology...

There is different terminology used to define what and who is a bully or what types of situations fall under bullying... On deviantART, you will be met with the following most often...

Bully
Just as it sounds, the quid-pro-quo word used to describe anyone who belittles, threatens, harasses or otherwise makes you feel worthless. Sometimes these people do not intend to be a bully. It is important to remember that just because someone did something that might be considered bullying does NOT mean they are a bully. Mistakes happen. We are all human. Many people will apologize if they hurt your feelings or say something to you that they didn't realize would affect you so negatively.

Troll
A troll is, without a doubt, a online bully. Generally, a troll is bullying on purpose. Often, bully and troll are used interchangeably to mean the same thing. Trolling is a tactic used by a troll where the person keeps the conversation going with their victim for a long period of time and is trying to confuse them or otherwise make them say or do something that they can use against them. This can often move from the conversation to the troll's account or a group the troll is in where they post hateful things about their victim publicly. This type of behavior is NOT allowed. Block these people instead of responding to them. Hide their comments. And report them if they don't stop bothering you even after being blocked.

White Knight
A white knight is a type of bully. Quite frankly, a white knight behaves exactly like a troll except that they do it in defense of the original troll's victim (the victim typically being their friend). I have said it before and will say it again: TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT. Do not be a white knight. Do not troll the troll. Actually be helpful to the victim of the bully and encourage them to stop responding, encourage them to block the bully and hide the comments... And send them a supporting and kind note. You can even report the bullying yourself. Just don't add to the drama by being a bully to the bully. That is very counterproductive.

A Cyber-Bully
Often, you will see people complain that this term is overused or that bullying on an internet site is NOT cyber-bullying. Well, they are wrong. According to stopbullying.gov, "Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles."

Cyber-bullying is so dangerous because it can happen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week... Unless you completely disconnect from the technological world (no phone, no internet, no e-mail...), you will continue to be a victim of a cyber-bully. This repetitive onslaught can have very serious effects on people, especially the younger and more susceptible generation of teenagers. Cyber-bullying is not allowed at all. If you feel like you are the victim of a cyber-bully, follow these instructions to report them.

First Meetings: An Internet Adventure

Meeting new people is both fun and scary... It is a real modern day adventure, especially when you are online and can't see who you are meeting. Race, religion, sexuality, gender... they hold no power when all you can see is an anonymous username, some typed text, and an icon that could be of or from anything...

Judgments: Past and Present
How wonderful is it that you can create an account online, call yourself anything in the world you want to, and not be judged for how you look or sound? On deviantART, as a new user, your are nearly completely anonymous. What you post on your account is what will determine your deviantART identity - and it will ultimately determine how the community sees you and reacts to you. You don't have to reveal anything personal, you can make stuff up, and you can have fun with it. In the end, the way you type (like if you use chatspeak a lot), how you choose to do art, and what communities you choose to affiliate with will determine what other deviantART members judge you by. And you will be judged: by your choice of username, by the art you do, by the groups you join, etc. So take care. If you don't want to be thought of as a bully, don't join groups that promote bullying. If you want to be respected for your art, don't post works you didn't create yourself. And above all, do your best to be kind and follow the website policies.

What's in a Username?
Really, could it be THAT important? Oh yes, it is that important. One of the most entertaining and exciting things to do when creating a new account anywhere is to choose an identity for yourself... something that my have nothing at all to do with you but may tell the internet world something about you. Choosing a username that contains no profanity, no vulgar words, and nothing in it that is plain rude or obscene is pretty important... for a few reasons. One, if it contains a vulgar word like a swear work, you will be removed from the deviantART community. Talk about a sad ending to the start of what would have been a fun adventure! Two, if it is offensive, other members will report it and will judge you as an offensive person. How will you make friends and enjoy the community if you are outcasted because of the username you picked? And finally, it will literally define everything you do on deviantART. Sure icons are pretty impressive, but depending on what icon you choose, hundreds of other deviants could have the same icon as you. But only ONE OF YOU will have that unique username. So choose it wisely.

Getting to know the Community
So you made an account, got the perfect username, and are now ready to embark on that amazing adventure right here in deviantART! For starters, you should probably upload one or two pieces of art. After all, this IS an art site too. Next, you should really look at the things that make your artistic insides tick... Do you like a particular fandom and intend on doing fanart? Are you an all-digital or all-traditional purist? Are there certain causes you really want to help support like curing cancer or feeding the homeless? We have groups that can help you meet other people that feel the same way you do! Click on the arrow by the deviantART logo in the upper left corner of your screen and select GROUPS. Now search for groups you might like to be part of using key words... just like you would do if you were searching for art. When you find some groups you like, JOIN THEM! And start submitting your art to them. And speaking of art and searching for art, you should do that too! Find some amazing art you just love, favorite it, and then WATCH the artist! And the last thing to do on day #1 of your adventure... Create a journal to introduce yourself. No, don't give away any personal information, but do say HI to the community, tell us what kind of art you like or plan on creating, and maybe even show off some of the awesome groups and artists you just found! Doing all this on day #1 will help you engage the community and will give the rest of us a great introduction to what an awesome person you are!