Cyber Bullying Tips for Parents

Parents are becoming more and more fearful of cyberbullying as news Phoebe Price makes national news. Price was a lovely 15 year old girl that found herself in the midst of a full out attack by students from her school. According to The Cyberbullying Research Center, cyberbullying victims are twice more likely to attempt suicide than teens who have not been a victim. Cyberbullying is tougher to handle because it is much more public than other types of bullying. Don't misunderstand all forms of bullying are difficult for a teen to cope with, but cyberbullying is much more painful because it reaches so many more people which magnifies the embarrassment, shame and harassment. So what can parents do to protect their family from cyberbullying?

Keep Talking

Communication at all times is so important with teenagers. Start talking about cyberbullying along with computer safety, the minute a child starts using the Internet. Make sure that you are covering all of these topics frequently. This communication not only keeps the dialog open to discuss if your child is experiencing any problem, but it also educates them on what it is, how harmful it can be and will let them know how serious it is and should be avoided. No parent wants to find out that their child is the bully any more than they want to find out their child is being bullied. Stay engaged in the gossip and drama of your child's life, so that they feel comfortable discussing what is going on. Don't pass judgment, or always offer advice concerning their juvenile problems. They are juveniles; they are learning important life skills. Instead, ask them questions about; How did that make you feel? What did your friend say? What would you do in that situation? Staying involved and keeping your ear to the ground is the best way to identify a potential problem. Just make sure you are offering sound council and not adding fuel to the teen drama.

Educate Yourself

Find out how your child's school handles bullies. Identify the policies surrounding bullies and do the policies specifically speak to cyberbullying. If cyberbullying is not specifically identified, or if the policy is vague, lobby the school board to make changes. In the case of Price, her parents went to the school, and reported the problem. It wasn't enough. Make sure that you aware of your school policies around bullying. Make sure that your child knows what the policies are as well.

Monitoring Tools

Set expectations with your child that what they do on the computer is not private in your house or in the world. Purchase spy software like 007 E Spy, this is totally invisible software that lets you monitor activities, web sites and keystrokes on your home computer. Software of this type is relatively inexpensive, and can be found for less than $100. Your children need to understand that someone is always watching their computer activity and it is a good lesson to learn early. Don't feel like you are infringing on the rights of your child, computer monitoring is something that they will need to be prepared for when they enter the work force, and let's face it, with a warrant all computer activity is under scrutiny, wouldn't you rather be able to nip it in the bud early rather than find out when it is too late? Computer monitoring is important and with a teen, it is much more invasive to sit over their shoulder. Purchase the soft ware, load it on the computer, and let your child know that there really is no such thing as privacy when they are on the computer.

Trust Your Gut

Watch for behavior changes in your child. Many times, with any type of bullying, the child is embarrassed and ashamed so they many not want to discuss what is happening to them. They try to handle the situation on their own, their self esteem falls, the situation gets bigger and then the teen is in over their head. Is your child spending more time on the computer than usual? Are they becoming upset after being on the computer? Have their text messages increased dramatically? Are their new or unknown numbers on the cell phone bill? Are they isolating themselves more than normal? When a child is a victim of bullying, they start showing signs outwardly. It takes a keen eye when dealing with teens, as their behavior tends to be erratic anyway. Go with your gut, if you think there might be a problem, there probably is. If your child is showing signs of depression, seek help immediately no matter how much they object.

As access to technology increases parent need to arm themselves with tools to teach and protect their children. Stay involved, keep the lines of communication open, educate yourself, use available tools to monitor your child and seek help when necessary. It is better to have an angry child then a dead child.

Resources: http://www.cyberbullying.us/