It used to be that you may have had to deal with a bully at school, but once you were home, you were safe. That is no longer the case. The internet gave rise to a new social phenomenon, cyberbullying. Cyberbullying takes place over a variety of digital devices, and online platforms.
It’s hard not to feel terrible for what a lot of kids are going through today. If someone “messed” with me in school, it was restricted to the school; they didn’t have access to me 24/7 via a cell phone or social media. And usually, if the bully didn’t get the reaction, they wanted from you, they would stop-from my experience, of course. Nowadays, they are relentless, like a dog with a bone.
I don’t think the good ol’ “just ignore them” tactic works anymore. Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online. They may feel like they’re intruding, but it is most definitely their business to know what their children are doing online, whether they’re being bullied, or bullying. When a parent becomes involved, their reaction to their child being cyberbullied needs to be considered. It can be very upsetting, but the opportunity should be taken to educate the parents on how they can help at home (Counseling Clients, n.p.).
There are steps parents can take to make regular computer use “safe”. Fitzgerald (n.p.) listed several (18) steps and here are just a few:
- Keep the computer in a common area of the home.
- Learn about various social networking sites and how they work
- Talk to your kids about online issues.
- Tell your kids not to respond to threats or comments online.
- Don’t underreact by telling your child to “shrug it off”.
Parents shouldn’t be afraid to get involved. There are much worse things than an eyeroll from your child. Get involved now!
References
Bradley University (n.p.) Counseling clients who experience cyberbullying. Retrieved from https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/counseling-clients-who-experience-cyberbullying/
Fitzgerald, P. (2017) 18 Tips to stop cyberbullying. Retrieved from https://www.parents.com/kids/problems/bullying/18-tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/
I thought this was an incredibly relevant topic for the “everyday life” blog. It’s unfortunate that there is somewhat of a stigma around bullying, especially cyberbullying. It’s nearly an epidemic. I thought the point you made regarding the fact that the Internet changed the bully’s accessibility to his or her target was spot on. As you said, before smartphones and technology truly blew up, bullying was centered around the school. At that point, it was at a more controllable rate, because teachers and staff had the resources and the man-power to control it and stop it from occurring there in front of them. Now, kids of all ages, some even so young they can hardly read what’s on their smartphones, have all of these Internet accessible devices that are allowing them to become targets no matter where they are. It’s no longer circled around the school, bullying now has no limit.
In a way, I believe cyberbullying has the potential to be incredibly more effective and dangerous due to its anonymity and secrecy. Children log on to an app, a game, or join a chat group and their presence is hidden. They can be and say whoever and whatever they want to whoever they want, with no immediate consequences. And when these situations turn negative and evolve into bullying, most of the time the situation is hidden by the victim. They don’t want to admit to what’s going on out of shame and humility. Therefore, it’s important that you noted the need for parents to be more involved and to invade their children’s privacy a bit more because it isn’t about being nosey or overly curious, it’s about protecting them from the environment in which they are the most susceptible. I truly believe if smart device usage time was limited and parents were checking in on their children’s activities on these devices more often, bullying would see a decline in occurrences.
Again, great post, super relevant!
Cassie