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"Safety is an ongoing conversation"
by Heather225
Last post
 June 27th
...See more I was having a chat with @PetiteSouris about the power of education in online safety and it got me thinking about how I view safety as an ongoing conversation. I think one of the most effective methods we have for keeping ourselves safe online is to be talking to each other, sharing experiences, lessons learned, and wisdom from our own research and experiences with safety. Some of have extensive experience, and others are still figuring out how to navigate the wide world of the internet, including 7 Cups. We prioritize safety, given the nature of our platform, and we want to empower everyone to take control of theirs. We can do this by sharing what we know! Here's where you come in: Please share some tips you've picked up on keeping yourself safe, especially as it relates to our community. There's no overcommunicating when it comes to upholding safety so let's keep talking!
The Community Guideline Series - Masterpost
by AnnaSilverberg
Last post
 May 20th
...See more Hay everyone✨! This post contains all the forum posts that are a part of The Community Guideline Series Feel free to explore them all, I hope you enjoy reading them😊 Part 1 - Our profiles [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/VISafetyMadeFunActivitiesandGamesSeries_2648/TheCommunityGuidelineSeries_318371/] Part 2 - Behavior on Cups [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/VISafetyMadeFunActivitiesandGamesSeries_2648/TheCommunityGuidelineSeriesPart2_318995/] Part 3 - Safety of our members [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/VISafetyMadeFunActivitiesandGamesSeries_2648/TheCommunityGuidelineSeriespart3_319688/] Part 4 - Boundaries and behavior [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/VISafetyMadeFunActivitiesandGamesSeries_2648/TheCommunityGuidelineSeriespart4_321224/] Part 5 - Safety for everyone [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/VISafetyMadeFunActivitiesandGamesSeries_2648/TheCommunityGuidelineSeriespart5_322104/] ✨Happy reading and a wonderful day to you all✨
Teen Safety Series: Tip #3- Take control of your 7 Cups experience!
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 April 2nd
...See more Hello and welcome to the Teen Safety Series [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/TeenSafetyTips_2661/IntroducingtheTeenSafetyTipsCampaign_325452/]. In today’s post, we will be learning one more step. At 7 Cups, we believe everyone deserves a safe and supportive space to connect.  That simply means giving you the power to control your experiences. If you are feeling uncomfortable in a chat/ group chat? You don't have to. You can shape your experiences. We offer a couple of handy tools to help you feel comfortable and in control. * Block Button:  In 1-1 chat with a listener, if a listener's behavior makes you feel uneasy, you can block them with a single click. This will prevent them from contacting you again. Listeners can utilize the same in case a member’s behavior is not respectful or appropriate.  * Mute Button: In the group support chats, sometimes you might just need a break from a conversation. The personal mute function allows you to hide messages from specific members/listeners without leaving the room entirely. Also, you can report/ block them if their behavior is causing discomfort to you.  Please know, you are in control of your experiences. And, please don't hesitate to use these tools to create a positive and comfortable experience for yourself.  We are here with you to support you in taking charge of your well-being on 7 Cups. Here are a few more steps you can take: Report inappropriate behavior: If something makes you feel unsafe, please report it through the "Report an issue" [https://help.7cups.com/hc/en-us/requests/new/] link.    Take breaks: It is okay to step away from a chat or group chat if you need some time for yourself. Focus on positive interactions: Seek out listeners who make you feel supported and understood. Please know we are here for you. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us for any support. And, let's work together to make 7 Cups a welcoming and supportive space for everyone.  ------------------------- Did you check out Tip #1 & #2? Find them here! * Tip #1 [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/TeenSafetyTips_2661/TeenSafetySeriesTip1_325795/] * Tip#2  [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/TeenSafetyTips_2661/TeenSafetySeriesTip2_326184/]
Anti-bullying Awareness Month: It can be intimidating to ask for help because....
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 May 9th
...See more Hello everyone, I hope you are taking it easy on yourself.  Last week we attempted: Anti-bullying Awareness Month: Take the Quiz [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/IVSafetyResourcesEvents_1059/AntibullyingAwarenessMonthTaketheQuiz_317363/]. I appreciate everyone who attempted it so far, if you haven't yet, attempt the quiz here! [https://www.7cups.com/forum/safe7cups/IVSafetyResourcesEvents_1059/AntibullyingAwarenessMonthTaketheQuiz_317363/] Asking for help is often seen as a sign of vulnerability or weakness, leading many individuals to hesitate before seeking assistance. The fear of judgment, rejection, or burdening others can make it intimidating to reach out for support. Additionally, self-reliance and the desire to maintain independence can hinder individuals from seeking the help they need.  So, today I want us to simply participate to complete this prompt.   Prompt: It can be intimidating to ask for help because.... -------------------------
A member you are chatting with is being rude and inappropriate towards you, what do you do?
by goldenLion1121
Last post
 May 5th
...See more A member you are talking with in PMs is being rude and Inappropriate towards you. How do you handle this situation? 😮😮 (Learning is so much more enjoyable when we do it all together, so tag a listener and invite them to come join us to share their opinions!) Thank you to @sunisshingingandsoareyou and @LavenderHere for this awesome forum thread idea! ❤️
Emotional Bullying
by Happy900
Last post
 February 1st
...See more Emotional bullying is any form of bullying that causes damage to a victim's psyche and/or emotional well-being. Some Examples include: Spreading malicious rumors about people Ignoring people on purpose (via the silent treatment)
For All Victims of Bullying ❤
by 221Skye
Last post
 November 28th, 2023
...See more Bullying is aggressive hurtful behaviour against someone, involving a complete imbalance of power. It is terrifying. It makes victims crumble, and cry and collapse. Its even debilitating. Its completely despicable, and no one deserves it. Not a single person. It kills nearly 13 million kids each year. It is serious. How to identify bullying? ✑ It is when someone or a group of people TARGET you and make you feel bad about yourself or hurt. ✑ It is NOT just physical. ✑ Other types of bullying: ◊ Verbal bullying such as name-calling and homophobic remarks ◊ Psychological/Covet bullying such as rumour spreading, social aggression and unkind mimicry ◊ Cyber bullying such as imitating someone online/deliberate mocking texts etc. ✑ ANYONE can bully, and ANYONE can be bullied. ✑ "The bully is bigger" is a myth. Physical size is inconsequential when it comes to bullying. ANYONE can bully, its highly psychological and the bully doesnt need to be physically intimidating/bigger 10 Things to Remember When Youre Being Bullied ➊ REGAIN CONTROL, by recognising that you ARE being bullied. ➋ BREAK THE SILENCE. Dont lock it all up, talk about it with someone, let people know youre being bullied. Bullies thrive off control~ take that away. ➌ DONT ISOLATE yourself, as much as you want to and even if its the natural response of most. Surround yourself with your friends, people you trust, people whove got your back. ➍ DONT REACT OR RETALIATE. This is important, bullies do their thang to get a reaction, to see you rise to the occasion, and thrive off the power. Dont show that they're affecting you. ➎ GET HELP. You dont have to do it alone, tell an adult~ Its not tattling. Its telling, its standing up for yourself. If not someone you know, then a helpline (hotline 1 [http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx] / hotline 2 [http://www.121help.me/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31&Itemid=104]) However strong you are as a person, you are not immune to mental health issues. Excessive stress and pent up anger from bullying can lead to depression etc. So, there is NOTHING wrong with seeking help. ➏ LET IT GO. Bottling up anger, frustration and guilt will come back to bite you in the long run. Scream out your lungs, Punch a pillow, throw your stuff around (err safely.) or tear up some paper. Whichever way works for you <3 ➐ Find some ZEN ~ write, draw, sing or talk to the birds (err, I mean walk into the forest and chill. But go right ahead if youre Snow White xD) ➑ DOCUMENT everything. Make a log of all bullying activity, where, when why… 5W1H it ;) It will come in handy later. ➒ Understand that allegations, accusations and insults do not reflect who you are. If anything, they reflect the bullys own misgivings and insecurities. YOU ARE NOT WHO THEY SAY YOU ARE. ➓ Remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE. It is a common, and widespread problem. Millions like you are suffering under it. You dont deserve this. No one does. If your friend/loved one is being bullied ☂ BREAK THE SILENCE ~ ask how theyre doing with the bullying, give them a space to talk. ☂ RESPECT THEIR SPACE. Understand that they might not want to talk about it sometimes. ☂ Accompany your friend as they travel, if you can. Stick with them, show them they are not alone. ☂ Remind them they do not deserve it and it is nothing to be ashamed of. ☂ TELL THEM THEY ARE AWESOME AND WORTH IT. Counter the bullys words with your own <3 If you have been bullied, share with us how you got through it ❤ If youre being bullied, how do you cope with it? ❤ If your friend is being bullied, how do you help? ❤ Remember, you are not alone, and we are always here for you. ❤ This week is Anti-Bullying Week, and 7cups has many coolio activities for it. Check em out here [http://www.7cups.com/forum/SpecialEventson7Cups_120/November2015AntiBullyingWeek_657/]! :D Tagging humans (cos I can. and cos I want to hear what you guys have to say ^-^ ) ~ @Alicattt @MelAllyouneedislove @amazingrea @NewRomantic677 @YayyySphere @MidniteAngel Tag anyone else you think might be interested in le new sub-forum too! <3
When are they angry with you and when are they just angry in general?
by DaveMcGrath
Last post
 November 14th, 2023
...See more That's a big question isn't it? We've all had those moments in a chat when the member gets angry, very angry. I'm human, believe it or not, my first impulse is flee. Being a human, believe it or not, I'm equipped with a rational mind that allows me to override these biological imperatives to protect myself from hostility. It's a survival mechanism that allowed our ancestors to survive in an an environment best described as challenging. Flight or fight.. Now we can't strip down to our boxers and offer to go three rounds with the member under the Queen of Marquess rules of boxing. That simply won't do as it is yet another biological imperative that we have to use our rational minds to override. We all have our methods of overriding this fear or triggered anger response. For some they work very well, for others like me, it's a perpetual work in progress. I personally enjoy being a work in progress, it makes me the most colorful person in the room at times. :| My method of overriding some of my strongest biological urges in the face of anger is to delay. What we do is text based, quite often we can take a few moments to consider our response. I then try to decide if they are angry with me or they are really just venting their anger at me. People come to this site for a variety of reasons, you better believe that some of them come here due to being quite angry about an event or series of events in their real life. In short.. my personal go to is a two step process. 1) delay for a short moment to take a nice long deep breath and maybe a drink of water. 2) ask myself if they are angry with me or something else. If they are angry with something or someone else, I can help them. If they are angry with me, I find that a bit trickier. Trickier, but not always impossible to turn into a decent back and forth conversation about what is going on with the member.. Above all, remember that there is a Listerner Support Room with Chat Support for you if you need help. There is also a listener hangout room where you can find chat support as well. Peer Support can also be helpful if you need to vent about some of these conversations. In conclusion, what have you found that works for you? Everyone has their own little tricks of the trade, share some or one of them if you feel so inclined.
Title moderated
by lausiri
Last post
 August 12th, 2023
...See more I was in a chat with this listener for over 2 hours. He claimed to be a psychologist donating his time for free. I didn't have evidence to prove otherwise. While we went through a series of exercises, I realized I had been talking for 2 hours and I had to leave. When I told him so, he asked for my email. I told him I did not feel comfortable sharing my contact information and then he started becoming irate telling me to " get lost" and "you're the reason why we never donate our time." I am so taken aback by this. Has anyone had this issue in the past? (Title of post edited by @CheeryMango to remove mention of listener name- 10/18/2022)
What is Bullying?
by Happy900
Last post
 June 18th, 2023
...See more Bullying can be thought of as any behavior that is unwanted and unwelcomed, has a negative impact on the recipient, or bystanders and is unwarranted.
It can be scary to confront people because....
by Laura
Last post
 May 17th, 2023
...See more It can be scary to confront people because....
Your Feedback is welcomed!!! Online bullying Brainstorming Exercise
by Rain45
Last post
 September 19th, 2022
...See more Technology and social media is all around us and can be used to great effect, however things can easily turn and you cant always press undo Believe it or not, kids are not the only victims of cyberbullying. Adults can just as easily become prey to bullying through these means. Just because words are online doesnt mean it doesnt have the power to hurt and to drive some to contemplate suicide. Im sure there are many of us on cups who have met our fair share of supporting members and listeners who have been bullied in some shape or form. But there is a lot of ignorance when it comes to online bullying, what is it, what constitutes it, is it that bad, is it that traumatic and so on. Wed like to overcome the ignorance that surrounds online bullying and would like to begin by asking members and listeners to begin brainstorming this simple task of how they perceive online bullying to be, and subsequently, the impact this has. It wont take much of your time up and so if you have a few moments we kindly ask to spare a little of this. We would like to ask the following: Why do people get bullied online? What does online bullying behaviour look like?. What sets bullying apart from other online behaviour? Eg A pattern of repeated aggression.(Bullying is rarely a one time thing Have you been a witness of online bullying? How did this feel for you (without giving identifying details) What ideas do you feel could be considered to tackle online bullying? We will come back to you after time enough time has been given for you all to provide information on this topic and we will are planning an anti-bullying event currently to take place on cups for anyone who would like to take part when it happens. More information will become available nearer the time. #traumasupport #bullying #7cups #breakingthesilence
Cyberbullying vs. Traditional Bullying: Is Either Worse?
by Heather225
Last post
 September 16th, 2022
...See more I've been reading into the differences between cyber bullying and offline bullying in relation to this day and age. Came across this article [https://onlinesense.org/5-differences-cyber-bullying-traditional-bullying/]that discusses the differences. Here's a snippit from it that I wanted to ask your opinions on. 1. Anonymity: How the Internet Protects the Bully The biggest difference between cyber bullying and traditional bullying is the fact that the Internet actually gives the offender an extra degree of protection. Why? Because when youre on the Internet, bullies can harass and attack their targets anonymously. Back in the ‘traditional bullying days, at least victims knew who their aggressor was. Now, the victims are clearly identifiable online (whether its through their phone number or one of their social media profiles) and cyber bullies can hide their identities while harassing that person. 2. Cyber Bullying Can Happen Anywhere, Anytime Another difference between cyber bullying and traditional bullying is that cyber bullying can happen anywhere. As long as someone has access to the Internet, a bully can harass someone and a victim can find an offensive comment about them. Before everyone had easy access to the Internet, bullying was more isolated. It typically happened during school hours and in places where the bully and victim were in the same location. In todays age, there is literally nowhere to hide if you are a victim of bullying. Someone could find a message from a cyber bully from the moment they wake up until the time they go to sleep. They could find one during school hours and/or in the privacy of their own home. This, of course, make it very difficult to avoid cyber bullying, and it can it could potentially happen to someone constantly. 3. Cyber Bullying Incidents Can Go Viral Have you ever seen an image or meme [http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/weirdwebculture/f/What-Is-an-Internet-Meme.htm] go viral before? While people can be hostile both online or offline, one of the other key differences between cyber bullying and traditional bullying is the fact that things can be shared easily. Some of the nastiest online bullies expose their victims in front of the entire virtual world. While most traditional bullying takes place in front of a relatively small number of witnesses, cyberbullying plays out in front of anyone who has access to the Internet and comes across a cyber bullys post. Whats worse is that most people dont do anything about it simply because they feel like nothing can be done online. Some people even play a role in sharing some of these hurtful messages, and posts to their friends, which gives the victim even more negative exposure. (Side Note: If you are a teen, make sure you read this article about bystanders [http://onlinesense.org/cyber-bullying-bystanders-teens/], which discusses why you should take action against cyber bullies even if you arent the one being bullied.) 4. There Is a Lot Less Remorse in the Online World Generally, solving a problem that happens online is very different from what happens in the real world. The Internet is still a relatively new phenomenon for most people, and it is constantly changing based on how we react to it. Nowadays, people seem to believe that there are worse reprocussions for cyber bullying compared to traditional bullying. Victims are less likely to tell their parents or teachers about a cyber bullying incident because they may fear that theyll receive a worse punishment, like having their computer or phone taken away. Furthermore, because cyber bullies dont have face-to-face encounters with their victim, they are also less likely to feel guilty for what they do. In other words, they do not know how their words or actions actually affect someone else online. This leads to bullies being more aggressive and victims being more vulnerable. • What do you think about this article? • Do you think one is worse than the other? • Does one get priority over the other in terms of the awareness it's given? • Can one lead to the other?
Conflict Resolution Tips
by Tazzie
Last post
 September 18th, 2021
...See more ❝Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.❞ ❑ Step back and slow down Avoid repeating unhelpful behaviors in conflicts. Habits can be changed through awareness. Think before you put your words across in order to avoid something that will escalate the conflict. ❑ Show clarity regarding your intentions and goals for the conversation Avoid blaming or changing another person's point of view. Listen to learn something new and express your views and feelings professionally. ❑ Avoid assumptions and ask questions to explore the other persons story Listen to the person on the opposite end as they will more likely try to understand you. Do not convince them you are right. Be aware of potential barriers to listening. ❑ Express your feelings without holding the other person accountable for the conflict Use I statements to express yourself. State a feeling rather than judging. ❑ Be responsible for your assumptions On the internet, messages can be interpreted in several ways. To think that your beliefs and conclusions about others are the truth, will only escalate the conflict. Share your interpretation of the messages received. ❑ Find a common ground Reaching a common ground will make it easier to resolve the conflict and will diffuse defensiveness. Reference - https://bit.ly/2OshbrE
NOTICE
by azuladragon34
Last post
 September 12th, 2021
...See more Hi everyone. I'm azuladragon34, current leader of the Anti-bullying team (ABT). Due to my roles here, this team will be put on hold until further notice. Anyone who is interested in helping me run the team ,please contact Power, Raven or me. Tagging: @Power, @ASilentObserver and @MidnightRaven999 Edited by Asilentobserver