YouTube: No Place for Bullies
January 15th, 2010 | Published in Youtube
OceanKing97 is a 15-year-old using video to raise awareness about the plight of dolphins. His videos are earnest...and a little awkward (but who wasn't at 15, right?). Unfortunately, some people have picked up on his awkwardness and have posted negative, even hateful, comments on his videos.
Ever seen a situation like this, or been involved in one yourself? We thought we'd take a moment to share a few tips on what you can do if people post negative comments on your YouTube videos.
1. Delete harsh comments and think about blocking the user who posted them so they can't view your other videos or leave more comments. It's easy -- just use our Help & Safety Tool.Ever seen a situation like this, or been involved in one yourself? We thought we'd take a moment to share a few tips on what you can do if people post negative comments on your YouTube videos.
2. Report comments that insult your race, gender or a disability you might have by clicking on the "hate speech" button.
3. If specific threats are made against you and you feel unsafe (for example, if the person might know personal information about you like your name and location), tell your parents or teacher and consider whether you should call 911.
4. Avoid making negative comments and encourage your friends to keep their comments respectful too.
Thankfully, OceanKing97 isn't a real user -- he was invented by the National Crime Prevention Council to help teach YouTube users about cyberbullying. Check out his video and do your part to keep YouTube safe and fun for everyone.
Victoria Grand, Head of Community Policy, recently watched "Haiti at Risk"
Victoria Grand, Head of Community Policy, recently watched "Haiti at Risk"