What To Do About Cyberbullies

In the past year, many communities and schools have reported an increase in the number of incidents in which children are harassed because of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or political point of view. According to stopbullying.gov, 49 percent of children in grades 4-12 have experienced bullying, and 30 percent admitted to bullying others.

- Carolyn Jabs

Parents are also worried. In C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s National Poll on Children’s Health, 61 percent named bullying and cyber bullying as a “big problem” for children and teens. A second survey conducted by Report linker found that among young people ages 13-24, 71 percent were concerned about cyber bullying.

Like old-fashioned bullying, cyber bullying involves a willful, repeated effort to humiliate, harass or threaten another person. Unlike traditional bullying, cyber attacks use text messages, social media, apps or even chat options on video games. Cyber bullying is different from traditional bullying because there’s no escape. Technology follows kids everywhere, and as everyone now knows, nothing disappears online. Taunts that would have been forgotten at the end of the day can resurface and go viral at any time.

Now more than ever, parents need to stand firmly on the side of decency and kindness. By setting clear rules you can help your child develop the self-control that keeps him or her from making someone’s life miserable. Here are are other ways to combat cyber bullying.