This is an essay on the conduct policy.
It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
This topic is separate from WP:BULLYING because the topics are not the same. |
Cyberbullying is a global term that means the harassment of someone by use of electronic media, usually but not always social media. This essay is intended first to be editable by all as part of consensus forming on the processes Wikipedia should follow when cyberbullying has been identified or is suspected on Wikipedia. Following the building of consensus over those processes, the essay will be proposed as a guideline, perhaps as a policy. Cyber bullying is widely morally unacceptable, and most schools have a cyberbullying policy and conference.
Wikipedia has sound advice about bullying of editors by editors. While that is a form of cyberbullying, this essay does only address bullying against individuals who are editors, and is also not a useful guide for a user trying to determine what Wikipedia does when cyberbullying of non-editors is suspected.
Often, but not always, the offending text is presented as what appears to be a genuine part of an article. An example might be in a school list of notable alumni the addition of the name of a current pupil in some manner, together with a defamatory, degrading, or disparaging remark. Examples might be:
- John Victim has no friends, and he'll never have any friends
- John Victim is gay
- John Victim has sex with dogs
- John Victim does drugs
- I hate John Victim
As it stands one can easily form the view that this is online horseplay. Indeed, John Victim may have no issues with such comments; he may have a robust sense of humour and a strongly positive self-image.
Or John Victim may be already depressed, liable to self-harm, perhaps already considering suicide.
A Wikipedia editor finding such an edit in an article has no idea about John Victim's state of mind. Nor does that editor know if this is a joke which John Victim will shrug off, or part of a campaign of unpleasantness.
First and most important, treat it as a real personal attack made on and via Wikipedia against an unknown person who is in an uncertain state of mind. It is not simple vandalism; it is something potentially far more serious.
The following actions should be taken. Where this list is not exhaustive it should be used for guidance and actions relevant to the exact scenario that presents itself should be taken. Since this document is currently an Essay, not yet an accepted guideline or process, those steps can and should be incorporated into this section, together, on the talk page, with the rationale. After this document is adopted more formally they should be discussed on the talk page.
Having taken the actions described above, take the following further actions: