Parents

Cyberbullying is using digital technologies to deliberately and repeatedly harm or harass other people in a hostile manner.

Parents can be their child’s first line of defense for cyberbullying.

Parents can protect their child from the harmful tactics of online bullying and equip their child with the skills they need to protect themselves. By taking the following steps below parents can identify if their child is being bullied, intervene effectively, and assist in preventing your child from bullying someone else.

Know the signs of Cyberbullying:

• Threats of violence
• Spreading rumors
• Harassing messages
• Coercion 

Protect Your Child From Being A Victim of Cyberbullying:

• >Place the computer in a location that is easy visible by an adult
• >Teach your child safety computer use and how to identify cyberbullying
• >Monitor what your child is writing and doing online
• >Make sure you give your approve before your child adds a friend to his/her social network
• >Develop a safety plan with your child
• >Establish a technology use curfew
• >Teach your child never to post personal information online
• >Tell your child to tell an adult if they are being bullied
• >Tell your child never to share their password
• >Save the evidence and take a screenshot of the screen on which your child was bullied
• >Contact the ISP of the of the cyberbully
• >Help your child record the bullying incident
• >Identify the cyberbully and tell your child to reveal the name of the cyberbully if they know who the person is
• >Tell the cyberbully to STOP
• >File a complaint by contacting your child’s school and /or law enforcement
• >Do not respond to the cyberbully, stop looking, and block the cyberbully
• >Take Screenshots to Save the Evidence

Prevent Your Child from Cyberbullying Someone Else

• >Inform your child of the possible consequences of bullying
• >Monitory your child’s use of the computer and cell phone
• >Teach your child conflict resolution skills
• >Watch your child’s emotions and behavior when you are near the computer they are using
• >Monitor the time your child is allowed to use the computer
• >Demonstrate appropriate computer etiquette with your child
• >Tell your child to stop, think, review anything they write before sending it online
• >Remind your child that nothing they place online is confidential
• >Notice changes in your child such as a reduced interest in attending school or social events
• >Becomes angry, sad and anxious after using the computer