Cyberbullying 101: What You Need to Know

So what is cyberbullying anyway? Shira Lee Katz, the Director of Digital Learning for the national non-profit Common Sense Media, explains that cyberbullying occurs when social sites on the Internet, email, IM, texting and cell phones, are used to deliberately hurt or embarrass someone. "Like bullying, cyberbullying makes people feel bad and can create horrible relationships for kids," she says.

And while the concept of cyberbullying may seem foreign to some of us who can't fathom the day when our little ones will be texting and friending on Facebook, it's never too early to get educated. Here are three important tips about cyberbullying every parent needs to know:

• Cyberbullying is a serious problem that should be dealt with immediately. Bullying of any kind can be damaging to your child's psyche, but the effects of cyberbullying can be even worse because technology allows a bully constant access to his target.
  
• Teach your kids to think before they send! Your child is creating a lifelong digital footprint, meaning once something's typed, texted or posted, it's pretty much out there for the world to see.
  
• Cyberbullying can start as young as preschool. Shocking, but true! Although cyberbullying happens more among the middle school crowd, it can begin as early as preschool and continue all the way through high school, so check in with your kid early and often.

Sadly, cyberbullying affects everyone it touches—parents, teachers, peers and especially the target and bully, but you don't have to be an expert to know that talking about cyberbullying in your home, long before it becomes an issue, is a great way to keep your kids safe and informed.