What is Cyber Bullying and How Can You Prevent It?

In the age of mobile and internet technology, most kids nowadays already own a phone or a laptop. Through these devices, they are able to connect with their friends, family, and other acquaintances, which ideally should be good since it can improve relationships. However, this technology and advance gadgets can also attract enemies and haters. As a result, a child or a teen can be bullied or antagonized through their gadgets.

Understanding Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is defined as any form of threat, harassment, or torment that a child or teen gets from others with the use of digital technology. By this definition, a conclusion can be drawn that adults are not prone to cyber bullying. That is not really the case. However, when adults experience this type of harassment or threat, it is best described as cyberharassment or cyberstalking. Thus, cyber bullying is a term that is mostly used when the affected person and the instigator are both in their pre-teen or teen years.

Bullying, as you all know, is not a light subject matter. Bullies at schools have caused their victims to take their lives due to humiliation or depression. Cyber bullying is not very different. When a kid constantly gets messages that are full of hate in his emails, it will get to the point where he cannot handle the torment anymore. Hence, news about kids committing suicides because of cyber bullying is something that can happen anywhere nowadays. Worse, there have even been incidents where kids have killed each other because of cyber bullying.

Hate mails are not the only form of cyber bullying. Spreading humiliating photos of the victim on the internet is another, as well as incessant hostile text messages that can truly hurt and embarrass the victim. The sad part about cyber bullying is that the bully can maintain his or her anonymity in the online world. This gives them more power over their victims. 

How Can Your Prevent and Stop Cyber Bullying

Insecurity, risky behavior, depression, and revealing too much of one’s private life in the internet are some of the factors that make kids susceptible to cyber bullying. Being kids, they are also prone to trust everyone they talk to in the web. Unknown to them, other kids could use that information to humiliate them later on. 

School administrators and teachers can help stop cyber bullying by teaching their students about cyber ethics. The power of the school, however, is limited, as some cyber bullying incidents happen outside the campus.

The key to preventing cyber bullying, therefore, is for parents and guardians to educate kids on how to safely use their mobile devices. Kids should be taught that everything they post online could be downloaded and used by others against them. Your home computers must have the necessary safeguards installed to protect the identity of the users. It is also important that parents help their kids understand what cyber bullying is and encourage their kids to inform them immediately if they experience any form of cyber bullying. Parents should be emotionally supportive of their kids. Keep the communication line open and be very observant so that you can stop cyber bullying before it does any harm to your kids.

If you have confirmed that your child is being cyber bullied, change his mobile phone number and email address right away. You can also report it to the authorities so that legal actions can be done against the perpetrators.