As a relatively new phenomenon, certain terms and language have developed around cyberbullying. The main ones are listed below.
- Cyberstalking: creating fear by engaging in abusive and threatening online behaviour.
- Denigration: providing information about somebody that is derogatory and untrue. This may involve sending or posting gossip or rumours about a person to damage their reputation or relationships.
- Exclusion: intentionally excluding someone from an online group.
- False reporting: making false reports or complaints to the service provider with the intention of having the user’s account or website terminated.
- Flaming: fighting online with angry and offensive language.
- Harassment: repeatedly sending offensive or threatening messages.
- Impersonation: pretending to be someone else and sending or posting messages, pictures or videos to get that person in trouble or to damage their reputation or friendships.
- Outing: distributing intimate private information or secrets about someone else online.
- Trickery: tricking someone to reveal intimate or embarrassing information and then
- Dissing: Sending or posting cruel gossip or rumors about a person (target) to damage his or her reputation or friendships.
- Target: The person who is on the receiving end of online social cruelty.
- Bash Board: An online bulletin board on which individuals can post anything they want. Frequently, posts are malicious, hateful statements directed against an individual.
- Trolling: Intentionally posting confrontational comments about sensitive subjects to create conflict and bait others into an online argument.