How to Respond to Cyberbullying
Most of the advice about bullying is focused on notifying parents, school officials, etc. What action would you recommend that a tween could take? What works best? Should they respond to a post? Ignore it? Delete their profile? Block text messages? Sure, you should tell your parents, but kids needs tools to deal with it as it's happening. What would you recommend?
Great question, because it's so important for kids to know that they can protect themselves, too. Here's what to do:
Sign off the computer. It's best to ignore attacks and walk away from the cyberbully.
Don't respond or retaliate. If you're angry and reply, then you might say nasty things. Cyberbullies often just want to get a reaction out of you, so don't let them know that their plan has worked.
Block the bully. If you get mean messages through IM or a social networking site, take the person off your buddy or friends list. You can also delete messages from bullies without reading them.
Save and print out bullying messages. If the harassment continues, save the evidence. This could be important proof to show parents or teachers if the bullying doesn't stop.
Talk to a friend. When someone makes you feel bad, sometimes it can help to talk the situation over with a friend.
Tell a trusted adult. A trusted adult is someone you believe will listen and who has the skills, desire, and authority to help you. Telling someone who fits that description what's going on isn't tattling—it's standing up for yourself. And even if the bullying occurs at home, your school probably has rules against it.
Information provided by Caroline Knorr, Parenting Editor of Common Sense Media. For more tips about teaching your kids to be safe online, visit Common Sense Media.
report abuseSign off the computer. It's best to ignore attacks and walk away from the cyberbully.
Don't respond or retaliate. If you're angry and reply, then you might say nasty things. Cyberbullies often just want to get a reaction out of you, so don't let them know that their plan has worked.
Block the bully. If you get mean messages through IM or a social networking site, take the person off your buddy or friends list. You can also delete messages from bullies without reading them.
Save and print out bullying messages. If the harassment continues, save the evidence. This could be important proof to show parents or teachers if the bullying doesn't stop.
Talk to a friend. When someone makes you feel bad, sometimes it can help to talk the situation over with a friend.
Tell a trusted adult. A trusted adult is someone you believe will listen and who has the skills, desire, and authority to help you. Telling someone who fits that description what's going on isn't tattling—it's standing up for yourself. And even if the bullying occurs at home, your school probably has rules against it.
Information provided by Caroline Knorr, Parenting Editor of Common Sense Media. For more tips about teaching your kids to be safe online, visit Common Sense Media.
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