The dangers of cyberbullying and how to keep your kids safe online
GUEST BLOG - Alexandra Theodorakidis, Editorial Assistant at AboutKidsHealthWhile bullying itself has been around for a very long time cyberbullying is a fairly new phenomenon. Cyberbullying is the intentional bullying and harassment that occurs through electronic media, such as cell phones (through texting) and computers (through email and social media). Unlike school yard bullying, cyberbullying does not end when kids go home at the end of the day; access to social media and smart phones allows cyberbullying to continue around the clock, free from geographic barriers. Canadian teachers rank cyberbullying as their highest issue for students, with almost 50 percent of students reporting being bullied online. Studies have shown that long-term bullying can have lasting consequences on mental health, including increased depression, anxiety and lower self-worth. Almost every Canadian student between grades four and 11 have access to a computer outside of school, either at home, a library or elsewhere. Just over 50 percent of grade seven students have their own cellphones, increasing to 85 percent by grade 11. Cellphones and social media have become a normal part of how youth socialize and connect, but it is important to teach children that access to technology comes with certain responsibilities.
Most websites have rules about online harassment, and a section where users can report abuse or bullying. Make sure that your child knows that not only is cyberbullying damaging for mental health, but it can also be illegal. Repeated online tormenting through emails, text or phone calls may constitute criminal harassment. It is also illegal to distribute intimate images without consent, and it is even worse when the people in the images are underage. Keep a record of all negative text messages, emails or web postings that you can report to a website or to the police.
As parents it is important to be aware of what your child is doing online and who they are interacting with. Many children who are bullied online do not report it to a parent or teacher out of fear that they will lose their computer or phone privileges. Parents need to make it clear that kids who have been cyberbullied will not be punished for coming forward.
While monitoring kids whenever they are on the computer can be difficult, and given the accessibility to technology, unrealistic, there are several things parents can do to make sure their kids are as safe as possible online.
- Keep the computer in the kitchen or other high-traffic area of the house where you can keep an eye on your child and know the sites they visit and who they interact with
- Teach your child how to be responsible online, establish what is acceptable behaviour and what is not, and make sure your child knows to keep their passwords safe and not to share them with friends
- Encourage your child to be smart about what they post online, telling them not to share anything that could be embarrassing or harmful to themselves or to others
- Do not forward any hurtful messages or posts about someone else. This sends the message to the cyberbully that what they are doing is okay
"It is important to be aware of what your child is doing online and who they are interacting with."
It is just as important to teach your children not to bully others. Some children bully others out of insecurity or because they copy behaviour they see at home. If you suspect your child has been sending bullying messages to others, calmly discuss with them their reasons for their behaviour, and use reasonable consequences to punish them. It is also important to address the underlying causes for why your child might be bullying others. They may be dealing with their own self-esteem issues, be suffering from feelings of aggression or not understand that picking on kids who look different or have different beliefs is unacceptable.
Remind your kids that what goes onto the Internet stays there forever and could come back to haunt them in the future. Children who bully others are at risk for several health and wellness issues as they get older including substance abuse, increased aggression, academic issues, and are at higher risk for criminal involvement. It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to ensure that all children involved in bullying including the victim, the aggressor and witnesses get the support they need to promote positive relationships and protect their wellbeing.
SOURCES:
http://www.prevnet.ca/bullying/cyber-bullying
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/News/NewsAndFeatures/Pages/Cyberbullying-how-to-talk-to-your-children.aspx
http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/prevention/
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cycp-cpcj/bull-inti/index-eng.htm
http://www.redcross.ca/what-we-do/violence,-bullying-and-abuse-prevention/youth/cyberbullying
http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/pdfs/publication-report/full/YCWWIII_Life_Online_FullReport.pdf
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/no_bullying.html
