KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — As cyberbullying becomes rampant, Malay Mail asked some experts to explain what it is and how it takes shape.

This issue gained public attention after 29-year-old female TikTok influencer Rajeswary Appahu, known as Esha, committed suicide due to cyberbullying, at the People’s Housing Programme (PPR) in Gombak Setia on July 5.

Fundamentally, the experts all agreed that cyberbullying is just aggressive behaviour using the internet and technology.

This can occur on social media, messaging, and gaming platforms, using computers or mobile phones, according to Universiti Malaya’s deputy dean of research at the Faculty of Education Zuwati Hasim and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s senior lecturer at the Department of Government and Civilisation Studies Murni Wan Mohd Nor.

"There is no universal definition but generally it can be understood as any deliberate action by individuals or entities through digital communication with the intent to cause anxiety, physical, psychological, economic, or academic harm to the victim,” she explained.

Nalini Elumalai from London-based human rights organisation Article 19 also added that bullying is repetitive harassment that is aimed at scaring, angering or shaming the victim.

Perpetrators can be only one person or a group of people, Zuwati said.

The two academics said types of cyberbullying behaviour include spreading rumours, sending hurtful and abusive messages, and sharing humiliating content.

Zuwati argue that it should include impersonation while Murni had online stalking in her definition of bullying.

Mediha Mahmood, the chief executive officer of the industry forum Communications and Multimedia Content Forum (CMCF), outlined six types of cyberbullying:

1. Trolling

Posting inflammatory or hateful messages to provoke or upset others is considered trolling. An example would be someone posting sensitive and mocking comments, deliberately trying to trigger emotional reactions at a mental health forum.

2. Doxing

Doxing is publishing private information or information that identifies an individual without their consent and often with malicious purposes. A case in point identified by CMCF was when the "I want to touch a dog” event organiser had his house address and phone number leaked to the public 10 years ago where, as a consequence, the victim received threats and harassing messages.

3. Cyberstalking

This happens when someone repeatedly sends unwanted messages or threats, which create fear and distress in the victim. An example of cyberstalking is when a former lover or friend keeps on sending threatening emails and messages to the victim and monitors their online activities which make them feel unsafe.

4. Flaming

Flaming is when someone posts hostile and insulting messages in online forums or on social media, which may result in heated and aggressive exchanges. Posting derogatory or offensive remarks about another user’s opinion in the comment section of a post which sparks a chain of abusive comments, for instance, can be considered as flaming.

5. Exclusion

Deliberately excluding someone from an online group or conversation can also count as cyberbullying. It can happen among classmates when they leave out someone from the group chat deliberately, and in the gaming community when certain players are excluded from team activities which isolates the affected individual and narrows their social interaction.

6. Impersonation

Pretending to be someone else can be considered cyberbullying if it is meant to damage their reputation or relationships. An example would be creating fake social media profiles of someone and posting harmful or embarrassing content to ruin their social standing and dignity.

Nalini, Murni, and Zuwati agree that cyberbullying should also fall under the ambit of hate speech if the words said were targeted on the grounds of gender, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or other protected characteristics of the person.

One of the differences between the two is that cyberbullying is intended to harm, intimidate, downgrade or humiliate, but hate speech typically encompasses offending, threatening, or insulting someone based on their protected characteristic, Zuwati explained.

"If the attack’s intention is only to harass or silence, without targeting the persons based on these protected characteristics, then we wouldn’t call it hate speech but online harassment,” Nalini said.

Hate speech is meant to cause hostility, violence and discrimination towards a certain group of people.

It should not be taken lightly as it could lead to mass violence or in worst cases, genocide, Nalini warned.

"Online harassment and threats are other forms of attacks that happen online but they should not be classified as cyberbullying because they are more serious forms of attacks that require other measures,” she said.

* If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people: Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am); Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); and Jakim’s Family, Social and Community Care Centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214).

Recommended reading:

• What does it take to end cyberbullying? Experts say will need more than laws and ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach
• Cyberbullying can affect anyone, but Content Forum chief says it’s more ‘vicious’ for women
• More than sticks and stones: Experts warn cyberbullying far more dangerous than just mean words
• Are you bullying others? You could be struggling with issues yourself
• Getting bullied online or IRL? Here’s what you can do