Victims share their stories...

IT started with a fake account messaging me on Instagram when I was 16.

I never got to know who the person behind the account was because in my experience of being cyberbullied, the perpetrators never revealed themselves.

I didn’t know how to go about getting help.

At first, I thought if I ignored the constant harassment and derogatory name-calling, it would stop.

But this didn’t help because the person behind it kept creating multiple new accounts.

This went on for a year and I remember feeling lost, helpless and like I had no way out.

I couldn’t enjoy social media the way I used to and even feared getting on the app.

Since then, I’ve been cyberbullied by different people, with my last encounter just two years ago, when they Photoshopped my pictures into pornographic images.

I tried to handle it by myself but when I felt like there was no way out, I talked to my parents about it and they helped me make a police report.

I then posted the report online and the cyberbullying stopped.– Nani, 23 I WAS only 13 when I was cyberbullied. I started my content creating journey then and would frequently post videos on YouTube and on my Instagram account.

These videos would often get a mix of good and bad comments, which never bothered me.

But one day, one of my followers personally messaged me on Instagram with very insulting words and posted my video on Instagram with the same kind of insults.

This was a random follower whom I had never met, so I didn’t know why he felt the need to insult me so harshly.

I felt instigated so I replied by insulting him back, to which he threatened me by saying that he knows where I live and study at.

To make it worse, his followers posted my videos with insults, too.

This went on for two days and it made me feel anxious but I had a good group of friends who supported me.

This phase made me realise how important it is to treat everyone with respect and kindness.

– Aqmal Adam, 18