There used to be a day when bullies would go face to face and make threats, jokes, or perform other pranks on another child. Today the profile of a bully has even changed. At one time bullies were big, intimidating, and took advantage of the small shorter children. Today they are the smaller, less intimidating, yet computer savvy individuals that can bully through the internet. In today’s blog I want to talk about the new type of bullying that has caused a great amount of concern in our schools and overall lives of our youth. This bullying is called cyber bullying. According to Wikipedia the definition of cyber bullying is the use of the internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner.
Just to let you know the state of cyber bullying today:
1. 32% of teens say they have been targets of a range of menacing online activities.
2. 20% of teens say “people are mostly unkind” on online social networks.
3. 88% of social network users say they have seen someone be mean on websites.
4. 1 in 6 parents know their child has been bullied over social media(Gilkerson)
Many principals, teachers, and other school officials can tell you that cyber bullying takes up a lot of their time especially on Mondays because of the internet bullying that happens on the weekends. This is something that as parents and overall society we can’t ignore. Parents truly need to be aware of this because your child could be a victim. You may be asking, “What are the signs that my child is being bullied?”
Here are some but not all the signs that your child is being bullied:
1.Coming home from school with damaged clothing or other belongings.
2.Unexplained cuts, bruises or scratches
3.Afraid to go to school or participate in other school-related activities.
4.Drop in grades and performance
5.Having thoughts of suicide
6.Appearing sad, angry, or often moody.
What to do if your child is being bullied:
1.Talk to your child about bullying and ways to avoid situations. Know that they may not tell you right away if their being bullied due to not wanting to be called a “snitch” or “tattler”.
2. Set up a meeting with the principal, counselor, or teacher about your child being bullied.
3.Take immediate action by gathering as much information as possible about who’s doing the bullying. The school may even have camera footage of bullying.
4. Encourage your child not to retaliate. A fight will only lead to a suspension which will cause your child to get failing grades.
5.As a parent, don’t try to contact the bully because it only leads to more bullying. Let the school officials handle the situation.
In some cases when a child ignores the bullying long enough, it fades away. But whatever happens, make sure violence is not the answer. Also make sure that you’re proactive and don’t wait until something bad happens. It’s important for parents to have access to their child’s social media websites too. Everything you want to know about your child is either on their computer or phone. Sometimes you have to be nosey. I understand giving a child space but don’t end up being the parent that finds out their child committed suicide or was beaten by a bully.
So with all that said, I will leave you with my advice to ask questions, keep open communication, and be aware of what's going on with their social websites in order to protect your child.
