I have received a number of emails from readers who ask me how to handle bullying over the Internet. Some of these have come from adults who are harassed by other adults. Others come from parents whose children are being abused by other kids.

There are advantages and disadvantages to everything, including the Internet. One of the advantages is that it enables human communication on a scale heretofore unknown in the history of mankind.

One of the downsides is that it allows people to communicate bad things to us or about us. They can write ugly emails or IMs to us. Or they can spread nasty information about us to others. What can we do about this?

For the most part, the way to handle verbal abuse over the Internet is no different from handling it in ordinary life. The rules that I provide in the website's manual for victims, How to Stop Being Teased and Bullied Without Really Trying, apply to the computer as well.

Simply put, just because someone is sending you nasty letters does not mean you have to fall into the trap of getting upset. The sender wants you to get upset. If you do, they win and you lose. And they will continue to harass you.

If people spread mean stuff about you to others, again, don't let it upset you. Take the attitude, "If anyone wants to believe this stupid stuff about me, it's their right." If someone asks you if what they read about you is true, respond with the question, "Do you believe it?" If they say "No," you win. If they say "Yes," reply, "You can believe it if you wish," and you also win.

You may wish to turn to your Internet Service Provider to find out if the sender of the abusive information is violating regulations. You may be able to get them kicked off the Internet. Otherwise, trying to fight back, either through email campaigns or confronting peers in school, will just make the battles worse. Show people that you are tough and cannot be fazed by the stupidity of others.

[Since writing the above article, I have written a more comprehensive set of instructions for dealing with cyberbullying. You can access it here: http://www.bullies2buddies.com/How-to-Handle-Cyberbullying ]