7 Ways to Prevent Cyberbullying

7 Ways To Prevent Cyberbullying- Article to Print

 

7 Ways To Prevent Cyberbullying

by Paula Green, Antibullying Advocate

If a child is expressing anger or anxiety after going online, it might be one of the signs he/she is being cyberbullied.

Cyberbullying is becoming a burning issue both for parents and teachers. Kids spend around 3 hours online and use cell phones 80% of the time, making it the most common medium for online bullying.

Cyberbullying is the same as traditional bullying but if traditional bullying stops, when the school ends, for online bullying there is almost no escape. Unfortunately, many kids torment and harass each other using the internet via computers and smartphones. So you have a full picture, we listed top cyberbullying facts and ways to prevent it below.

 

7 Surprising Cyberbullying Statistics

• 45% of children admit they have experienced bullying online
• More than 40% say they have become the bullies’ target
• 70% admit they have witnessed cyberbullying
• 50% of children admit to be scared of their online bullies
• 92% of cyberbullying attacks are held through chatting and commenting on social media websites
• Cyberbullying victims are 3 to 9 times more likely to consider committing suicide
• Only 2 in 10 victims will inform their parents or teachers of online attacks

 

McAfee chief privacy officer firstly reported about the problem in 2012. In her interview she claimed that 1 in 10 kids are experiencing cyberbullying without parents knowing. If you are suspecting your child is being bullied online, below is a list of things you can do to stop or prevent it.

 

7 Ways To Prevent Cyberbullying

 

1. Talk

Every psychologist will tell you that the best way to help your child or student is to have a conversation first. Be patient and ask a child about the problem in general: what is cyberbullying, does he/she know someone who is being bullied, what children should do if notice acts of bullying. This way you will see how much your child is involved in the situation and which side he/she is on.

 

 

2. Use celebrity card

Modern children are the same as we used to be. They choose role models and follow them in every way. Now they choose singers, sportsmen and actors. Nowadays, a lot of celebrities are supporting cyberbullying victims. Many of them post numerous comments against online bulling on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Demi Lovato Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus are the most popular teen singers who talk about this problem out loud.

 

3. Monitor online activity

Luckily, cyberbullying has one advantage: you can notice it and save the evidence. If taking their phone away is not an option, you can install iPhone monitoring app Pumpic. It allows monitoring social media activity, including Facebook and Instagram, view all text messages (even deleted ones), call logs and general online behavior. You can block and control the child’s phone remotely through PC or personal cell phone.

 

4. Engage parents and youth

Create a community for adults and pupils to send a unified message against cyberbullying. Establish a school safety committee that will control and discuss the problems of online bullying. You can create policies and rules, including cyberbullying reporting system. It is important to make the main objectives known to parents, school and children.

 

5. Build a positive climate

School staff can do a big deal to prevent cyberbullying.  As a teacher you can use staff and parents meetings and even send newsletters. Use your school website to create a page and forum, where parents can discuss the problem. You can also engage bullies and victims by giving them mutual tasks, so they can try to see each other from a different perspective.

 

 

 

 

6. Volunteer in the community

As a parent, you can prevent bullying by working in the community. With your experience on the ground, appropriate strategies can help identify the victims and redirect bullies’ behavior.

 

7. Restore self-respect

Remember that the ultimate goal is to protect and restore the victim’s self respect. Act thoroughly; fast decisions can only make things worse. Talk to someone about the problem before responding. Collect the evidence and join with parents or teachers to figure out the possible best choice to stop cyberbullying among children.

 

 

 

Mrs. Green takes a big part in NY anti-bullying campaign for young leaders. Right now she works as an independent contributor for Pumpic.com; image attribution flickr user workingword