Cyber bullying is one of the biggest problems affecting families today. It’s one of the disadvantages of the Internet to society. There have been several high-profile instances where teens go as far as to commit suicide because of the bullying they experienced online. While some people downplay the impact this type of bullying has on kids, there have been studies showing that it can be just as hurtful as bullying done in person, and it can have the same harmful mental effects. Continue reading to learn more about how to protect your children from cyber bullying.
Too Many Ways for Cyber Bullies
With this in mind millions of parents around the world are looking for ways to deal with cyber bullying and protect their children, but are finding that it is more difficult than they would have thought. One of the obstacles parents face the fact that there are so many avenues of bullying including Facebook, e-mail, texting, chat programs and even indirect bullying. To make it worse, most kids don’t want to tell their parents about the bullying so they sometimes hide the fact that it is even going on.
There are a number of things that can be done to help combat cyber bullying and protect your children. The following ideas have been effective for many parents.
Remove the Stigma
Most kids are embarrassed if they are being picked on by their peers which is why they try to hide it from their friends and family. Parents should do all they can to remove this embarrassment so the kids will feel comfortable coming to them if they are getting bullied. Having an open dialog in the home about what bullying is and why it is never the fault of the individual being bullied is a great start. In addition to making kids more comfortable talking about it, it can also help stop some kids from being bullies!
Monitoring Web Usage
Keeping an eye on what types of things the kids are accessing is a critical for parents in the information age. When parents know what their kids are doing online they much more likely to discover any potential bullying problems. Remember to not only watch the desktop or laptop computer, but also mobile devices as this is how most kids today access the web. Using free programs to help track usage on PCs and apps like Vodafone’s Guardian can make monitoring web usage extremely easy (also read this guide).
Watch for Behavior Changes
When kids are being bullied online they often go through a variety of behavior changes. They may act out in defiance or become more introverted, trying to avoid friends and family. While all kids go through changes during their teenage years, parents should watch out for sudden and unexplainable changes in this area. If parents are concerned it is a good idea to start keeping a closer eye on what is going on while their kids are online.
Never Underestimate Cyber Bullying
The most important thing parents can do is to make sure they are treating cyber bullying and Internet safety as a serious issue, because that’s what it is. Teenagers are going through endless changes at this time in their life and things like cyber bullying can cause significant damage if left unchecked. Above all, they need to know their parents care about them enough to protect them from all types of bullies.