The increasing popularity of Internet forums, chatrooms and instant messages (IM) has led to a new form of predator called a cyberbully, who takes advantage of these new channels of communication to intimidate, harass and defame other users. Why does someone become a cyberbully? There are two main reasons. Primarily it's an attempt to gain power over others, i.e. by posting a derogatory message or sending an insulting IM, some cyberbullies hope to establish a pecking order. In addition it’s the online anonymity that makes a cyberbully think that he or she can get away from being rude and disrespectful. Hence, some cyberbullies may entertain themselves by retaliating against someone who caused them offline trouble or defaming or mocking others without worrying about consequences.
A cyberbully thrives on the attention he or she receives from the victim, so it pays to remain silent. Direct confrontation with a cyberbully, whether online or offline, is not recommended. By ignoring a cyberbully's messages and online taunts, the victim takes away much of his or her steam. The cyberbully will either move on to another victim or escalate the attack until it becomes quite evident that action must be taken by the chatroom or message board moderators.