People treating other people badly is as old as the human race. But today, the internet with social media lets us do it on a scale our ancestors could never imagine. Online abuse fits into three broad categories.
- Public indoctrination – using internet viral lies or other information warfare tactics to sway the public to a desired point of view.
- Grooming – becoming friends with somebody with a hidden agenda to lure them into slavery, usually with sex trafficking or terrorism.
- Bullying – abusing a power position to mistreat somebody vulnerable.
Online abuse also comes with consequences, including but not limited to addiction, depression, loneliness, riots, and suicide.
I do technology for a living, I know my way around cybersecurity, and I’m an author. My newest novel, “Trafficking U,” focuses on fighting sex trafficking. I’m also a father to an adult daughter who survived years of grooming and bullying, and a grandfather to two young men. Which means I have both a professional and personal interest in this topic.
Use this page as a resource to learn more and find help.
I delivered this talk about online abuse on March 2, 2024 to a group of youth leaders at Crown College in Minnesota.
Jacob Bryant with The Lanier Law Firm asked me to post a link to its article, “Social Media Addiction Statistics.”
Online Abuse: Public Indoctrination
From my dgregscott.com website:
- Information Warfare is a Cybersecurity Thing. Duh!
- Internet Viral Lies, Online Grooming, And Bullying
- When Dakota County, MN. Charged my Grandson with 5th Degree Assault for Playing in a Park in a costume.
MIT News – Study: On Twitter, false news travels faster than true stories
Scientific American – Biases Make People Vulnerable to Misinformation Spread by Social Media
Grooming
Books
From my dgregscott.com website:
- Blog post – If I were a Trafficker, How would I Find Online Victims?
- Video – If I were an Online Predator, How Would I find Victims?
- When Somebody Tried to Groom Me with Twitter Private Messages
C.A.S.T. (Citizens Against Sex Trafficking): Equipping everyday people to prevent exploitation before it begins.
International Justice Mission: a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence.
Polaris Project: a survivor-centered, justice- and equity-driven movement to end human trafficking.
Trafficking Justice: Fighting for freedom from sexual exploitation and trafficking in Minnesota.
Online Abuse: Bullying
See this guest blog post from a cyberbullying victim.
Francine Heller with Lawfirm.com asked me to post this article about bullying against special needs children.
Nomhle Mcunu contacted me with a couple of links that might be helpful. The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake offers an article, “How and Why Bullying Leads to Addiction in Kids.” And the Recovery Village website offers, “Exploring the Link Between Social Media and Depression,” including tips for parents. I’ll put links to these treatment centers on my substance abuse page.
Rachel Winston with The Social Media Victims’ Law Center (SMVLC) asked me to post this link about the effects of cyberbullying. It suggests cyberbullying is common on social media and includes:
- Psychological effects of cyberbullying
- Tips for teens who fall victim to cyberbullying
- Talking to your teen about cyberbullying
Rob Mitchell with AllConnect.com asked me to post this cyber-bullying resource guide.
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