Parents often feel overwhelmed with their child鈥檚 use of technology, and struggle to stay abreast of the latest apps and trends or to have some level of involvement in their child鈥檚 online activities. While they want to keep their child safe, they鈥檙e not always sure what to do and often rely on their child鈥檚 school to provide guidelines. Hinduja cautions that both educators and parents must to do their part. Although most children use their smartphones and social media apps in appropriate ways, about 25 percent will experience online bullying at some point. Parents: What to do if Your Child is Cyberbullied
鈥� First and foremost, make sure your child feels safe. Your child鈥檚 well-being should always be the foremost priority, even though you may be inclined to blame their constant usage or convey that they are indirectly responsible in some way. It is very important to demonstrate unconditional support, otherwise they may never open up to you again in the future. In this tense moment, talk with and listen to your child. Take the time to learn exactly what happened, and the nuanced context in which it occurred. Don鈥檛 panic, but also don鈥檛 minimize the situation or make excuses for the aggressor.
鈥� It is vital to collect as much evidence as possible. Print out or create screenshots of conversations, messages, pictures and any other items that can serve as clear proof that your child is being cyberbullied. Keep a record of any and all incidents to assist in the investigative process. Also, keep notes on relevant details like location, frequency, severity of harm, third-party involvement or witnesses, and the backstory. This will help you then work with the school. All schools in the U.S. have a bullying policy, and most cover cyberbullying. Seek the help of administrators if the target and aggressor go to the same school. Your child has the right to feel safe and supported in their learning environment, and schools are responsible to ensure this through their investigation and response.
鈥淲hen we work with youth targets of cyberbullying, they often tell us that they don鈥檛 want anyone to make a big deal of what happened, and they don鈥檛 want the 鈥榖ully鈥� to get in trouble,鈥� said Hinduja. 鈥淚nstead, they just want the problem to go away. As a parent, you can help make this happen. Contact the social media company, website, gaming network, or service provider involved. They will typically respond to your complaint in 24 to 48 hours.鈥�
Hinduja has compiled an ever-growing list of contact information of these businesses, which are available at cyberbullying.org/report. He recommends sending them as much information as possible, such as screenshots, user account information, and specific locations where the offending content appears.
鈥� Remind children that they can control their online experience by blocking and reporting other users who have harassed or annoyed them. Every major social media app and online multiplayer game has that functionality built in, and youth don鈥檛 need to subject themselves to interactions with people who are mean. Also, they should not hesitate to unfollow or unfriend anyone who compromises the quality of their online experience. It鈥檚 difficult sometimes 鈥� even for adults 鈥� but it鈥檚 necessary.
鈥� Try to cultivate resilience in your child when they deal with relational conflict that is minor in nature. Too often, parents respond in a 鈥渒nee-jerk鈥� fashion to protect their child from all social problems. Unfortunately, this keeps them from learning the skills they need to overcome relational hardships.
鈥淭he reality is that everyone has to deal with people who are rude and malicious and spiteful in adulthood, and so adolescents should face and rise above some of these milder incidents with the support and guidance of loving parents,鈥� said Hinduja. 鈥淭his can provide them with the opportunity to make sure that their self-worth isn鈥檛 solely rooted in peer perceptions, but instead in who they are becoming as a person and what their future is going to look like.鈥�
鈥� Finally, help them to understand the typical motivations behind why people are hurtful toward others 鈥� such as jealousy, personal stressors, insecurities, family problems, self-hatred, lack of empathy and maturity, or intolerance, and help them recognize when those issues in their own life need to be addressed.
鈥淲e hope that these strategies help parents and other adults feel encouraged, empowered, and equipped to be involved in their child鈥檚 online life, and come to their aid in meaningful ways if they ever experience cyberbullying,鈥� said Hinduja. 鈥淲e know it鈥檚 easy for them to feel alone and out of their league, but it鈥檚 important to know that there are people and resources available to help.鈥�
For more resources and information on preventing cyberbullying, visit .
- FAU -
Florida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU鈥檚 world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU鈥檚 existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit .
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