Much of today’s child have formed their own “digital life”—from young children playing games and watching their videos online, to the more complicated “digital social life” that our pre-teens and teenagers are now a part of. This comes with the risk of encountering unfavorable realities in the digital environment such as cyberbullying.
According to Unicef, “Cyberbullying is bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can take place on social media, messaging platforms, gaming platforms and mobile phones. It is repeated behavior, aimed at scaring, angering or shaming those who are targeted.” This may include spreading lies, posting embarrassing content, sending hurtful and abusive content, or impersonating someone to send mean messages.
Security specialists at Kaspersky (www.kaspersky.com) have collected a range of tips for parents and children on what to do if they’re bullied, and how to protect themselves.
TIPS FOR KIDS
- Set privacy settings: Parents teach children not to talk to strangers on the street. So why don’t we talk to them about employing the same rule in the online space? If it is impossible to completely protect yourself from a bully neighbor, the same can be said of one’s personal account across social networks. Guides that parents can peruse on how to do this are available on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch and Reddit.
- Do not answer: Reacting with offensive words will only escalate the situation. Trying to reason with the bully without the participation of adults is also not worth it. Ignoring them is the only way to protect yourself from the likely abyss of clarifications, insults and the like.
- Block the aggressor, complain to moderators: Many web sites and all social networks have a black/block list that kids can use. Contact the site’s administrators with a request to block the instigator. Guides on how to do this are available on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch and Reddit.
- Take screenshot: Evidence can be useful if you need to contact law enforcement agencies. You can also discuss the problem with the offender’s parents, or explain to them personally the possible consequences.
- Temporarily delete or deactivate the personal account: Leaving social media for a period can help a teen to breathe and focus on themselves. Moreover, bullies will see that a user is not responding and can lose interest in a possible victim since they won’t get any reaction. The most important thing is not to blame yourself because of the situation.
TIPS FOR PARENTS
- Support and trust are essential elements: If children are faced with cyberbullying, parents can be a support for them. But at the same time, according to various surveys, it’s a common situation when kids don’t share such problems with their parents. However, parents can pay attention to possible signs if their kids are being bullied. In particular, it could be issues with sleeping or eating, tearfulness or sadness with irritability, avoiding going to school, or withdrawing from the normal fun activities they once enjoyed.
- Prohibition is not the answer: To prohibit your teen to use of social media or the Internet is not the perfect solution to cyberbullying. Such a step can complicate relations with any child as they can withdraw and become less open about their feelings. It’s maybe much more effective to help them take a critical attitude to the situation, to “disconnect” the bully’s messages from the kid’s personality. In addition, such situations can help children comprehend what is happening as an experience that will help them form skills to counter cyber-aggression and manipulation.
- Keep in touch with kids online: One more good option can be to keep in touch with your child on social networks and instant messengers. It can help to check children’s posts and better understand their condition.
- Don’t dismiss digital help: Today’s technology also comes with a number of parental controls to help safeguard kids from harmful or inappropriate online material. Parents can also avail themselves of third-party apps which offer protection from harmful content, as well as enable them to set screen time limits, monitor their online activity, or also track their location via GPS.
- “Cyberbullying is a very complex and serious problem, which may seem impossible to deal with. Studies show that children often do not tell adults that they are experiencing bullying. Building a trusting relationship with the child will help parents be aware if their child encounters bullying,” comments Andrey Sidenko, lead web content analyst at Kaspersky.
More information on what else children and parents can do to deal with cyberbullying is available at www.kaspersky.com/blog/?s=bullying.
Image credits: Annie Spratt on Unsplash