5 Tips to Prevent Cyberbullying
Have you noticed that your usually happy kid is spending tons of time online and now seems down-in-the-dumps after logging off. If your mom instinct tells you something is wrong, your child might be the target of a cyberbully and it may be time for you to take action.
Shira Lee Katz, Director of Digital Learning for Common Sense Media offers these five parenting tips to identify and stop cyberbulling:
Identifying what is bothering children is one of the hardest parts of parenting, but Katz says that letting your kids know you are there for them to talk about tough topics, like cyberbullying, puts you one step closer to a positive solution!
report abuse- Talk to your child. Let your child know that you are there for him to discuss any problem that he might be having in school or with his peers. If you think he's avoiding speaking to you, suggest he speak with another trusted adult like a teacher, coach or guidance counselor.
- Block the bully. Sometimes, the best way to get a bully off your back is by not responding, so block him in an effort to stop all digital communication.
- Take a breather. Being the victim of cyberbullying is emotional for you and your child so you may need to take a break from the problem. Get a good night's sleep, relax and approach the situation calmly rather than acting on impulse.
- Save evidence. The best way to avoid a he said/she said situation is with hardcopy proof. Print out as much of the cyberbullying paper trail as possible from both the bully AND the target.
- Ask your child what action he wants to take. Let your child know that you take the situation seriously, but you also respect his feelings about how it should be handled.
Identifying what is bothering children is one of the hardest parts of parenting, but Katz says that letting your kids know you are there for them to talk about tough topics, like cyberbullying, puts you one step closer to a positive solution!
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