Today’s connected world offers a lot of conveniences from banking to ordering pizza, but it also brings negative things that you can feel powerless against. Cyberbullying is one of those things.
Growing up has never been easy, but the threat of cyberbullying makes it even more tricky. You can help your child feel safe by providing the tools and support to safely connect with others.
Here are three ways that parents can work with their kids to halt cyberbullying and make the Internet safer:
1. Listen and Engage Talking to your kids about cyberbullying is essential. Have regular conversations about their Internet activities and what they witness online. Be ready to listen to your teen and be their advocate. Cyberbullying can quickly escalate and requires swift adult intervention.
Inevitably, your child will interact with peers online, most often through a smartphone. Ask them to do so in common spaces so you can keep an open dialogue.
2. Keep Records If you do need to confront a cyberbullying issue, thorough records will help. Encourage kids to save threatening emails, social media postings, and other hostile chats. Also, regularly check browser history and save anything that raises an alarm.
3. Understand the Options for Intervening Talk to your children about their choices for addressing cyberbullying. Teens especially can reach out to comfort a target, or talk to school administrators, like teachers or principals, and in extreme cases, bring the issue to the police. Parents should always offer guidance along the way.
