Almost 100% of children report having experienced internet bullying in some form—either as a witness, a perpetrator, or a victim. Unfortunately, very few of them understand the gravity of what they are experiencing. Of that staggering number of children, most claim that cyberbullying is done as a joke.
Regardless of intentions, malicious internet activity comes at a cost, both to the person responsible for it and those on the receiving end. As a parent, your job is to make sure that your kids understand the ramifications of their behavior, both online and in the physical world.
In this article, we take a look at how you can educate your kids about the dangers of malicious internet activity.
The Stakes
Kids who are cyberbullied are almost twice as likely to experience thoughts of suicide as those who are not. Many experts suggest that internet bullying is actually harder for kids to deal with than in-person cruelty. There are several reasons for this:
- It’s harder to get away from: You can escape physical bullying simply by going home. Unfortunately, online comments can follow their victim wherever they go.
- Everyone sees it: If a child is bullied in the halls of school, the scope of their embarrassment is usually limited. The people who saw the encounter might gossip about it, but the word of what happened can only travel so far. Online, comments can spread much further.
- It stays there forever: Online comments also have longevity on their side. When someone makes a malicious social media post, it is essentially permanent. Even if they take their comments down, they can’t do anything about reposts, shares, and so on.
Most children who behave maliciously online do not do so with the intention of causing lasting harm. By having frank conversations with your child, you can help to prevent their participation in online bullying.
Help Them Understand How Their Actions Impact Others
One of the most effective ways you can prevent a child from participating in cyberbullying or other malicious online activities is by helping them understand the potential ramifications of their actions. Sadly, you shouldn’t have a very hard time finding real-world examples of how cyberbullying can create harm.
There are thousands of well-circulated stories about people who have taken their own lives or performed other drastic actions as a direct result of being cyberbullied.
While it may feel dramatic or even harsh to introduce your child to these stories, doing so may help them understand the risks of bad online behavior.
Explain the Personal Risk
While it’s nice to think that children will be deterred from bad online behavior simply because they do not want to do harm, it can help to increase the depth of their motivation. Introduce your child to the personal risks they take when they publish malicious content online.
Some of these risks might be internal—consequences at home, for example—but also make sure that your child understands what types of punishments they might encounter from the outside world as well. Many public school systems have a mandatory zero-tolerance policy for bullying. Under these policies, children who participate in cyberbullying may be suspended for lengthy periods of time, or even expelled.
Depending on the scope of an incident, cyberbullying episodes can even impact a child’s ability to gain admission to a university, or even find employment.
Establish Clear Expectations
Make sure your child knows how you expect them to behave online. This should include a prohibition on any content that could be considered malicious, but you also don’t have to stop there. Make sure they understand the risks of making inappropriate statements or otherwise sharing things that could impact their future as a student or professional.
Monitor Their Online Activity
It’s a good idea to take regular inventory of your child’s online activity. Many parents feel uncomfortable intruding on their children’s social media accounts, but a policy of transparency can save everyone a significant amount of trouble in the long run.
Follow your child on social media. If you don’t have an account, make a point of regularly reviewing their content. You don’t need to sneak around to do this. Ask your child to show you their social media captions every now and then.
This will ultimately be an imperfect process. It’s not terribly hard to hide a social media account. However, by instilling a policy of checks and balances you can at least encourage your child to be more thoughtful with what they post online.
How to Tell If Your Child is Being Bullied Online
Of course, most parents are at least as worried that their child will be bullied online as they are that they will do the bullying. While there is little you can do to prevent your child from becoming a victim of cyberbullying, there are common indications you can look out for to catch it early.
- A sudden change in behavior: If your child suddenly becomes withdrawn or expresses a strong desire to stay away from school, it is most likely an indication that they are dealing with something difficult. While cyberbullying may not be the cause of their problem, you should follow up any time you observe a major change in their personality.
- They suddenly check their phones constantly: Children who are being cyberbullied will often make a habit of constantly checking their phones. They do this because they want to see what people are saying about them online.
- Declining grades: Reduced academic performance is another common sign that a child is dealing with something difficult. When kids struggle with depression or anxiety, they often have a harder time focusing on schoolwork.
Unfortunately, these symptoms can be difficult to recognize sometimes. What teenager doesn’t get a little moody from time to time? And if constantly checking your phone is an indication of cyberbullying, then one could reasonably assume that the entire world is being tormented online.
Good communication is ultimately the best way to learn what is going on in your child’s life. Check-in with them often, and listen to what they say. A simple conversation could have an enormous impact on their lives.
Photo Credit
Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay
Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren
With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.
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