Cyberbullying is a growing social issue that has all too often occurred in online communities. According to research, one in every five tweens has been cyberbullied, and 59 percent of teens have been harassed online. And the rate of online bullying does not appear to be decreasing.
Cyberbullying increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to research, cyberbullying increased by 70% and toxicity on online gaming platforms increased by 40% during stay-at-home orders.
These figures show that, despite increased education and improved school bullying prevention programs, cyberbullying incidents continue to rise. As a result, parents must do everything possible to prevent cyberbullying in their children's lives.
Why Is Prevention Important?
Cyberbullying is the intentional and repeated infliction of harm through the use of electronic devices, gaming apps, and online social media platforms. It frequently manifests as hate accounts, hurtful social media posts, online rumors, and gossip, and mean gaming comments. Almost always, the intent is to embarrass, threaten, humiliate, intimidate, or abuse the intended target.
According to research, those who are cyberbullied face a variety of consequences, including emotional, physical, mental, and academic difficulties. Furthermore, cyberbullying is a significant stressor in the life of a young person. Cyberbullying causes young people to feel hurt, embarrassed, and, in some cases, scared.
They are not only frequently blamed for the torment and harassment they endure, but they are also left feeling extremely stressed. According to one study, nearly 35% of those targeted by cyberbullies reported stress symptoms.
Cyberbullying can have an impact on children's sleeping and eating habits. Children who are cyberbullied may crash diet or binge eat as a way of coping with the cyberbullying or as an attempt to change their appearance in the hope that the cyberbullying will stop.
As a result of harassment, grades and extracurricular activities may suffer. Teens may skip school or struggle to concentrate on their studies as a result of cyberbullying consuming all of their time and energy.
It is also common for victims of cyberbullying to feel alone and isolated. Many targeted children report being bullied at school. This, in turn, has an impact on their self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. Cyberbullying can eventually lead to self-harm and even suicidal thoughts.
When children are harassed on a regular basis by others via social media posts, text messages, instant messaging, and blog posts, they may begin to feel hopeless. They may begin to believe that the only way out of the agony is to commit suicide. Because the risks of cyberbullying are so serious, it is critical that parents take steps to prevent cyberbullying in their children's lives.
How to Avoid Cyberbullying
While there is no foolproof way to prevent your child from ever being cyberbullied, there are things you can do together to reduce the chances of them being targeted. This includes putting safety measures in place as well as having ongoing discussions about cyberbullying. You should talk about what cyberbullying is, the risks that come with it, and how it can escalate.
It's also critical to teach your tweens and teens how to use social media safely and responsibly, as well as what to do if they are bullied online.
Safeguard your accounts and devices.
When it comes to preventing cyberbullying and other similar behaviors such as catfishing, it is critical that your child use passwords on everything. Passwords are one of the most effective methods of safeguarding accounts and devices.
Make it clear to your child that they should never share their passwords with anyone, including their best friend. Even if they trust that friend implicitly, the reality is that friends come and go, and there is no guarantee they will remain friends indefinitely.
Make use of Privacy Tools and Settings
Whatever your teen does online, make sure they are aware of the organization's privacy settings and tools. Privacy settings are available on almost every social media platform, including Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Go through each account with your child and assist them in setting their privacy settings to the most secure. Making accounts private, preventing people from tagging them, requiring others to obtain permission before sharing one of their photos, and so on are all examples of this.
Personal belongings should be kept.
Private children should never give out their address, phone number, or email address online. They should be cautious about disclosing too much information about where they go to school, especially if they have online friends or followers they don't know well.
Remind them that people are not always who they appear to be on the internet. Even though the profile photo is of a teenage girl, this does not imply that the person behind the account is also a teen. Someone could be impersonating a young girl in order to gather information on other teenagers.
Control Location Sharing
Users of some smartphones can share their location with friends. This means that if they share their location with others, those individuals will always be aware of where they are. Discuss with your child who they can share their location with and whether they can share it at all.
Similarly, some smartphone photos already include geotags that indicate where the photo was taken. Even if they never mention where the photo was taken, people can use it to determine your child's location.
Your child should be cautious about which photos they share and when they do so. For example, you may wish for them to refrain from posting vacation photos until you have returned from your vacation. This way, you're not broadcasting to the entire online world that you're going to be alone for the next two weeks.
Teach them to think before they post.
Encourage your tweens and teens to take their time before posting. For example, they could create a post offline and then return to it in an hour to decide whether or not to post it. This will prevent them from posting things they may later regret.
Cyberbullies may use what your child posts against them in some way, so encouraging your child to think before posting may be beneficial. Of course, if someone wants to use something against them, it doesn't matter what it is.
However, by taking their time to craft a post, your child will be able to think through what they are posting and decide whether or not they want to say it publicly. This is a good practice for kids to keep a positive relationship with social media.
You should also teach your tween or teen proper digital etiquette. Using social media and other online tools is a privilege, not a right, and it can be revoked if they do not use it responsibly.
Perform a Social Media Audit
Sit down with your tween or teen every month or so and go through their social media accounts. Determine which posts should be removed from their account as a group. This exercise is especially important as they prepare to apply to college or find new employment.
College recruiters and hiring managers frequently peruse an applicant's social media accounts to get a sense of their personality and character. Make certain that your teen's posts and photos convey the message you want others to receive.
When Using Public Devices, Log Out
Remind your tween or teen to log out of any accounts they use when using public computers or laptops at school or the library. This includes logging out of their email, social media accounts, school account, Amazon account, and any other accounts they may have opened.
Simply closing the tab is insufficient. If someone gets on the computer right after they finish, they may still be able to access your child's account. Once they have access, they can take control of the account by changing the password.
Once they have control, they can impersonate your child online by posting and commenting in ways that make your child look bad. Furthermore, regaining control of an account can be difficult and time-consuming.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want to protect your child as they enter the online world or they have already been cyberbullied, it is never too late (or too early) to implement cyberbullying prevention strategies. Even college students and young adults can benefit from increased security.
Sit down with your children and discuss not only how they can use online tools safely, but also how they can protect themselves from trolls, cyberbullies, and other toxic people online. You should also discuss with them what steps they should take if they are cyberbullied, including how to report cyberbullying to the appropriate authorities.
And keep in mind that technology and the internet are not the problems. The real issue is the people who use it to harm others. Avoid taking away technology or restricting your child's access to online tools. Instead, teach them how to use these tools responsibly and safely. They will benefit from this for the rest of their lives.
Read next: 7 Bad Behaviors Parents Should Correct ASAP
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