Tips For Handling Cyberbullies

July 21, 2011 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie

By JOSEPH ADINOLFI, jadinolfi@courant.com

August 14, 2011

Bullying has taken on a new form in the Internet age — it no longer stops at the edge of school grounds. Are you worried that your child has or may become embroiled in cyberbullying? Here are some tips for parents and kids:

For Parents

• Consider whether your child is ready to have a cellphone or to be on Facebook. Cyberbullying is becoming a huge problem for students of all ages. As more young children create Facebook profiles and are given cellphones, their ability to represent themselves online may be outpacing their maturity. If your child does have a Facebook account, make sure it’s free of questionable or risque material. Also, be alert to whether your child has accounts on sites that allow teenagers to post anonymously, such as Formspring.me or gossip websites such as TheDirty.com or Peoplesdirt.com (which has been taken offline but is available on Twitter).

Talk to your child. It may be hard to get your child to open up, but be persistent. Coaxing your child into feeling comfortable talking to you is the best way to develop a close and open relationship. If your child is being bullied, he or she may not want to talk about it right away.

Set standards for behavior. Make sure you clearly and openly discuss with your children your expectations for how they represent themselves online. This can help prevent them from being bullied and becoming a bully. Make sure they know that although they may be able to post comments on gossip sites anonymously, that doesn’t give them the right to write anything nasty.

Document ongoing bullying. Keep copies of all text messages (or Facebook correspondence) your child receives that include evidence of bullying. If circumstances reach the point where school officials, the other child’s parents or police should be notified, it’s best to have proof to back up your claims.

For Kids

Ignore it. Unless you feel threatened, it’s best to ignore snide, nasty or malicious comments. Responding is like giving in, because it’s showing your tormentor that they’re having an effect on you. If you take away that feeling of satisfaction, the nasty comments may subside. If they don’t, you might want to consider blocking the bully and cutting off future correspondence.

Look on the bright side. If a cyberbully has managed to damage your self-esteem, reflect on the qualities that make you unique and how consider how absurd it is that someone would go out of their way to belittle someone else.

Talk to an adult. While your peers may deride it as “tattling” or being “a snitch,” don’t hesitate to confide in a trusted adult. They may give you useful advice or be able to help you in some way other than disciplining the bully. Chances are, they have experienced a similar situation and can at least help you feel better.

SOURCE: Stopbullying.gov and schoolbullyingcouncil.com

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