By Elizabeth Hines
Bullying is scary, especially for kids. And with the introduction of the internet into society, cyberbullying is one of the most pervasive forms of bullying. From harassment, to threats on social media or in a chat room, to points of embarrassment, it takes its toll on kids.
According to the statistics found by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cyberbullying is an epidemic in schools during these kid’s most crucial developmental years:
- 33% of it happening in middle school
- 30% happening in high school
- 20% in combined schools
- 5% in primary schools
While these numbers are devastating, there’s still hope. In this article, we’ll discuss how cyberbullying affects kids, and how you – the parent – can help protect them from it.
Signs and Effects Of Cyberbullying
“Children and teens might not talk about the cyberbullying right away,” says Jacob Binney, a psychology blogger at Boom Essays. “Chances are, they’ll feel ashamed of coming forward. Therefore, take note of any changes in your child.”
Here are some important red flags to look for:
- Unexpectedly refraining from using their device(s)
- Feeling uneasy when using device(s)
- Feeling uncomfortable about going to school (or even outside)
- Withdrawn from social gatherings
- Avoids talking about online activities
- Feeling overly sad or depressed
- Taking their frustrations out on a sibling or parent
Many children are given smartphones and tablets these days, which are breeding grounds for online bullying. It can cause severe anxiety, isolation, and can culminate in other more extreme behaviors such as self-harm or even suicide.
When and How to Intervene
If you suspect that your kids may be getting bullied online (or anywhere else, for that matter), don’t wait to intervene. Talk to them immediately. If they don’t want to talk about it at first, then spend more time with them, let them know you’re there for them and want to help. Eventually, they’ll be comfortable with talking about their bullying situation. When they do, be loving and supporting of them. The key here is to be persistent in obtaining information and understanding of what they’re going through.
“Once you intervene in the situation, you’ll need to take the necessary actions right away,” says Mia Palmos, a parenting writer at liahelp.com. “While it’s devastating to hear about your child being cyberbullied, you should still be there for them physically, emotionally, and mentally.”
More ways to help protect your kids:
- Encourage them to take a break from the computer or device.
- Discuss several options in dealing with the situation and don’t assume you know the best way to deal with the bullying before getting a full picture of what is going on.
- Remind them often that you love and support them, regardless of any situation.
- Contact your kid’s school about the matter.
- Document the harassment, so that there is a record if and when it needs to be reported.
- If you see that the cyberbully is another child (especially from the same school), speak to that child’s parents about the situation. If the parents fail to see their child’s ill behavior, then go to the authorities ASAP.
What Kids Can Do To Stay Safe
The basis of bullying is to gain control over another person. As a parent, you’ll need to combat this by taking control away from this kind of predator, even if it happens to be another kid.
Educate your kids in doing the following to prevent cyberbullying:
- Walk away. If your kids get uncomfortable with someone online, they should sign off the computer, and walk away.
- Don’t feed the bully. Cyberbullies will poke and prod at your kids to get a reaction. In that case, they should refrain from responding or retaliating. Make sure they know they have the right to block anyone that they feel is being mean or makes them uncomfortable. They can also delete any suspicious messages without reading them.
- Save and print suspicious or harmful messages for evidence. In the event that the harassment doesn’t stop, you or your child should save and print messages from the bully so that you can build a case against the offenders. Your child has the right to report cyberbullying.
- Reach out to the right people. No one should be alone in this situation. Encourage your child to talk to you, a friend, or family members about the harassment. They can also talk to a trusted adult, which can be a teacher, a school counselor, a police officer, etc.
Cyberbullying has no place in your child’s life. If cyberbullying occurs, take the necessary steps to stop it as soon as possible.
For more information and how to talk to your kids about difficult topics, try our books or Conversations with My Kids: 30 Essential Family Discussions for the Digital Age.
Elizabeth Hines is a writer and editor at Do my coursework and Paper writing service. She is also a contributing writer for OX Essays. As a content writer, she writes about the latest tech and marketing trends, innovations, and strategies.
