Hate speech and spreading rumours are among the most effective ways to destroy a person’s self-esteem. Studies show that a percentage of suicides are due to cyberbullying, where the person involved is overwhelmed by the hate speech and threats and decides to silence it all by dying.
In most cases, these bullies use digital technologies and social media to cling to facts that the victim does not want the public to know. In other cases, they spread lies and post half-truths about a particular issue just to make the victim feel ashamed and afraid.
They hold these things up to their victims as blackmail material to make them feel threatened and harassed.
By constantly sending threatening messages and hateful speech to the victim, a cyberbully keeps them in a state of constant anxiety and fear, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts.
Although the laws criminalising cyberbullying are still relatively new, the perpetrators will certainly be punished if the case is reported to the right authorities.
If you know someone who has been affected by cyberbullying and is afraid to speak out, you should contact people who can deal with the situation and help the person before they become psychologically and emotionally distressed.