Has the taunting, teasing and humiliation other kids are inflicting on your children become too much for them to bear? Is your daughter crying frequently because card carrying members of “the mean girls club” are sending her hate texts? Is your son getting lost in hours of endless gaming so he doesn’t have to face kids at school that torment him in the halls and then post embarrassing pictures of it on SnapChat? Your kids are not alone. In fact, according to cyber bullying statistics from the i-SAFE foundation:
- More than half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
- More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyber threats online.
- More than 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
- Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
If you know your child is being bullied, you are among the fortunate who now have an opportunity to do something about it. Here’s how to put a stop to cyber bullying once and for all.
Exactly What Is Cyber Bullying?
Cyber bullying is a term used to describe willful harm inflicted by electronic text. It encompasses everything from continuing to e-mail a person that has requested no further contact, to publishing personal information with the intent of defaming or ridiculing them, and threats to harm a person.
What Can Parents Do To Promote Safe Internet Use?
You can do a lot. Start by keeping the computer in an open area of your house where it is easy for you to monitor. Do not allow your child to have a computer or any internet enabled device behind closed doors. Furthermore, tell your children they are only allowed to participate in online chats or join social media sites if they give you their login information for each site. If you have teens, make sure they know you respect their privacy and that you’ll only review their online communications if you think there is a legitimate reason for concern. We also encourage you to set up restrictions on cell phones and your computers and install parental control filtering software and/or monitoring programs. If you have younger children, use child-friendly search engines. While we’re unable to endorse any one particular company, we’ve heard SafeSearchKids.com is used in schools across the United States.
How to Help Put an End to Cyber Bullying
Encourage your kids to tell you immediately if they, or someone they know, is being cyber bullied. Explain that you will not take away their computers or cell phones if they confide in you about a problem they are having.
Many parents fail to tell their children how to deal with a dangerous or offensive email, text or social media post. Tell your kids to STOP, BLOCK, and TELL. Your child should stop all correspondence immediately—as responding often adds fuel to the fire. Next your child should block offenders—making it impossible for them to receive any additional email, texts or social media messages. Finally, encourage your child to tell you (or another parent) about the situation. Parents should document and report the incident to their Internet Service Provider, the school, and law enforcement. All evidence should be saved.
Cyber bullying is dangerous and can be devastating. Some children have taken their lives as a result. When a child has been the target of cyber bullying great care needs to be taken to restore the child’s self-esteem and the parent child relationship. Parents can accomplish this best with professional help. The Center for Family Unity is committed to putting an end to cyber bullying and restoring your child’s self-esteem and the parent child relationship. We encourage you to contact us if you need help.