On her Twitter page Lynda Elstad or @lyndahere wrote “Did a good deed for a little boy today. Before any arseholes respond with bullying Emails, I’m referring (as before) to Christina’s nephew”.
If it is true that she is receiving Emails then there are a range of people who do not agree also with her behaviour. I would like to make it perfectly clear if she is receiving Emails then they are not from me. I do not contact her in any form including Email, Facebook, Twitter or her blog Between a Rock and Hard Place or leave comments on her YouTube page under this name or any other name. It seems time to revisit the concept of what is bullying, the cycle of bullying and the role of bystanders because even as adults we forget about how actions can affect others.
If it is true that she is receiving Emails then there are a range of people who do not agree also with her behaviour. I would like to make it perfectly clear if she is receiving Emails then they are not from me. I do not contact her in any form including Email, Facebook, Twitter or her blog Between a Rock and Hard Place or leave comments on her YouTube page under this name or any other name. It seems time to revisit the concept of what is bullying, the cycle of bullying and the role of bystanders because even as adults we forget about how actions can affect others.
@lyndahere wrote on her most recent post on a Between a Rock and Hard Place details of her accomplishments in stalking Alan Doyle, Great Big Sea and some of their friends across a range of countries including America, France, Canada, Italy, Spain and Australia and at various events including concerts, video shoots, public appearances, music awards, television appearances, charity events, public and private corporate events over last ten years. The only time Alan Doyle and Great Big Sea have had any peace from her constant filming and being photographed is when they have been on some overseas excursions and for charity events or on holidays with their family and friends. It is unfortunate that this kind of behaviour seems acceptable and encouraged by many people on Twitter and social media sites.
Researchers write about bystanders “But bullies often have ‘henchmen’ reinforces or an outer group of audience participants who shore up their confidence and act as obedient colluders…when the bystanders understand the harm they do and no longer encourage the perpetrator, a powerful step is achieved in changing the behaviour…I do not think @lyndahere has ever really been challenged and as a consequence her behaviour is seen as normal and acceptable and is encouraged by many fans of Great Big Sea and Alan Doyle. In some cases I think @lyndahere has been able to create an illusion she has the support of the of fans and perhaps even the friends of Alan Doyle and Great Big Sea who by providing links to some of her bootlegged material on her YouTube site for their own publicity encourages her to continue. Then there are the bystanders, people who support her stalking and bootlegging efforts. Those people that don’t support it are quickly shut down with attacks from fake social media accounts. Not only are those people attacked but their social media friends too.
There has been a lot of confusion about what is bullying and cyberbullying that it is a term which has been misunderstood. It can be used to describe a range of behaviour some of it extremely hurtful. Some behaviour such as lightly teasing someone, engaging in banter or has an opinion different to their own has been referred to as bullying but in fact is not. Researchers refer to bullying as “Bullying is the persistent intentional harming of another person within an unequal power relations”. There are several elements to this “an imbalance of power so that the victim/s can not defend themselves, an intention to hurt, humiliate or embarrass and repetition, a campaign to hurt”. Researchers argue that a disagreement among people of equal power is not bullying. People on social media accounts offering a difference of opinion are called bullies by some. Comments like @ddrocked “you two are *bullying* a GBS band member for RTing a VID?Cheeky! o_O” when people express an opinion about the quality of the bootlegged material being provided by @lyndahere.
@lyndahere is not in a powerless position to defend herself against anyone who disagrees with her. @lyndahere has social media accounts with followers and anyone who disagrees with her is ignored. @lyndahere has written in her blog about her experiences with fans who object and in some cases borrowed their arguments and words and used them as her own. She has contacted my Internet Service Providers and is not shy to threaten a person’s employment if they send comments to her via a work computer. In fact @lyndahere is more powerful than me because I do not have any social media accounts or followers. There are avenues she can take to defend herself including blocking people and reporting offenders to Twitter and other social media and they in turn can terminate their accounts.
Researchers describe several types of and different forms of bullying. They include verbal (threatening or intimidating behaviour name calling, put downs and sexual and racial), physical, coercion (forcing someone to do something they do not want to do such as giving up something) emotional (rejection and isolation, taking away friends, remarks about their physical appearance) indirect (spreading lies and rumours, talking about someone behind their backs and spread hatred about someone), and prejudice drive. Much of this is directed at the people who express an opinion about her videos. They have been threatened and intimidated, been put down (comments about their physical appearance) and had rumours spread about them behind their backs.
There is no campaign to hurt, humiliate or embarrass @lyndahere from me anyway. @lyndahere reacts badly to anyone who tries to engage in a conversation about the impact of her stalking and bootlegging. @lyndahere is unable or unwilling to recognise her behaviour of stalking and bootlegging maybe hurting people like Great Big Sea, their friends and their fans. There are hundreds of poor quality videos and blurred photos loaded up on the Internet. There is no selection of videos based on creativity, quality and uniqueness. Whole concerts are bootlegged and are just put up. There is no recognition that some Great Big Sea fans and perhaps Great Big Sea do not want this as this is not the best way to get new fans and to sell songs and records and seats to concerts. The bootlegging and stalking activities are based entirely on what she wants and maintaining her own lifestyle.
There is a campaign to change her behaviour to work within the laws that protect the musicians we love and admire and get the permission of the people involved. I hope that she would respect their decision to say NO. I tried to talk to her but she was not willing to listen to any kind of criticism of her videos or activities. I am trying to present an argument supported by research and law that will hopeful influence others and perhaps @lyndahere herself.
Reference
Health@health.com Bullies, victims and bystanders viewed 5 November 2012
Katz, A. 2012 Cyberbullying and E-Safety What Educators and Other Professionals Need to Know. Jessica Kinsley Publishers
Patchin, J.W. Hinduja, S, 2012, Cyberbullying Prevention and Response. Expert Perspectives. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, New York
