Cyberbullying

CYBERBULLYING
Cyberbullying is bullying or harassment that
happens online. It can happen in an email, a text
message, an online game, or comments on
a social networking site. It might involve rumors
or images posted on someone’s profile or passed
around for others to see, or creating a group
or page to make a person feel left out.
Talk to your kids about bullying. Tell your kids
that they can’t hide behind the words they type
and the images they post. Hurtful messages not
only make the target feel bad, but they also make
the sender look bad—and sometimes can bring
scorn from peers and punishment from authorities.
Ask your kids to let you know if an online
message or image makes them feel threatened
or hurt. If you fear for your child’s safety, contact
the police.
 
Read the comments. Cyberbullying often
involves mean-spirited comments. Check out
your kid’s page from time to time to see what
you find.
Don’t react. If your child is targeted by a
cyberbully, tell them not to respond. Bullies
usually are looking for a reaction from their
target. Instead, encourage your child to work

with you to save the evidence and talk to
you about it. If the bullying persists, share
the record with school officials or local
law enforcement.
Protect their profile. If your child finds a
profile that was created or altered without his or
her permission, contact the company that runs
the site to have it taken down.
Block or delete the bully. If the bullying
involves instant messaging or another online
service that requires a “friends” or “buddy” list,
delete the bully from the lists or block their user
name or email address.
Help stop cyberbullying. If your child sees
cyberbullying happening to someone else,
encourage him or her to try to stop it by not
engaging or forwarding anything and by telling
the bully to stop. Researchers say that bullying
usually stops pretty quickly when peers
intervene on behalf of the victim. One way to
help stop bullying online is to report it to the
site or network where you see it.
Recognize the signs of a cyberbully.
Could your kid be the bully? Look for signs
of bullying behavior, such as creating mean
images of another kid.
Keep in mind that you are a model for your
children. Kids learn from adults’ gossip and
other unkind behavior.