Digital Lives
We are all leading increasingly digital lives, spending more and more time online. With this increased connectivity, bullying or harassment that previously only occurred in-person now occurs online. Although the Internet brings many advantages to our everyday way of life, it also provides bullies with an additional outlet to say or do damaging things outside of face-to-face interactions. As summer comes to an end and children head back to the classroom, it is important to talk to your kids about cyberbullying. Cyberbullying includes a wide range of hurtful behavior that occurs through digital channels such as social media, text messages, emails, blogs, or instant messaging.
Warning Signs
The Cyberbullying Research Center, a Stop.Think.Connect. National Network member, has provided a few warning signs that your child may be experiencing cyberbullying:
- Unexpectedly avoids or stops using their device
- Appears nervous or jumpy while on the computer or using their device
- Seems angry, frustrated, or depressed after spending time online
- Becomes abnormally withdrawn from usual friends and family members
Stop.Think.Connect.
The Stop.Think.Connect. Campaign encourages all parents and educators to take the following steps to help students be aware of cyberbullying and to know what to do if they come across bullying online.
- Start conversations regularly about practicing online safety.
- Create an open and honest environment with kids so they can feel comfortable coming to you, or a trusted adult, if they see something online that makes them feel uncomfortable.
- Emphasize the concept of credibility to teens: not everything they see on the Internet is true, and people on the Internet may not be who they appear to be.
- Keep your personal information private, including the names of your family members, your school, your telephone number, and your address.
- Think twice before you post or say anything online. Once it is in cyberspace, it is out there forever.
Tips for Victims
Though the conversation around cyberbullying is typically focused on children, online bullying can actually occur to people of all ages. The Cyberbullying Research Center shared these tips for adults who are victims of cyberbullying:
- Do not respond. Cyberbullies want you to react. If you respond angrily, the bully may feed off of that response and continue (and even escalate the severity of) the cyberbullying.
- Record everything. Keep evidence of all content (pictures, texts, emails, tweets, status updates, etc.) that the cyberbully has sent or posted about you.
- Talk about it. Speaking with trustworthy friends about what you are going through could be cathartic. They might have gone through similar situations and might be able to give you advice.
- Block the bully. Block the cyberbullying at its source. If you are getting incessant communications from a cyberbully, use your email, phone, or social media options to prevent that person from contacting you.
For more information and resources, please visit dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect or the Cyberbullying Research Center at cyberbullying.us.
Source: US Department of Homeland Security