Cyberbullying: spotting the signs and taking action
Cyberbullying is probably the biggest concern parents have about their kids spending time online. Gone are the days where you could escape from the playground bullies in the comfort of your own home. With smartphones making us more connected than ever, it’s easy for a bully to target their victim anytime, anywhere.
With this week being Anti-Bullying Week I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to look at the signs and share some strategies on what to do if your teenager is being cyberbullied.
How do you know if your teen is being bullied online? What are the signs?
They have become withdrawn; you notice they are quieter than usual
They become nervous or agitated when you go near their phone or device. They may even switch it off quickly
They become agitated and nervous when they receive a notification
They are reluctant to go to school and become upset when you ask them why
They have trouble sleeping at night
They don’t want to spend time with family and friends
What can you do?
Gently encourage them to tell you about it. If you know they don’t want to, then tell them to tell someone-an adult they trust. They don’t have to suffer this alone
Get them to screenshot any nasty and unpleasant messages and save them
Tell them to never respond to any of these messages
Block these users
Do contact the police if you know it’s getting out of hand. Cyber bullying is not against the law, but harassment and threatening behaviour is.
Bullying of any kind can be very upsetting for everyone involved. It’s likely that it will affect your child’s self-confidence. Encourage them to talk to someone to help build it back up again.
Cyber bullying is one of the issues that features in my parents’ guide for keeping kids happy online-a free guide when you sign up to my mailing list.
I still have 1:1 mentoring spaces left for teens, so if you’d like to find out more book in here to arrange that clarity call .