Category: Bullying

When Bill Belsey, creator of a website to fight traditional bullying, coined the term ‘cyberbullying’ in 1998, even he wouldn’t have envisaged the transformation that electronic devices would undergo in the next two decades. Nor would he imagine the frequency with which ‘cyberbullying’ would be used as a topic of serious concern for the younger generation.

A cyberbully is someone who harasses you using a digital device such as a computer, a mobile phone, or a tablet. Harassment is perpetrated in many different ways: through text messages, applications, social media, forums, or interactive games.

The dissemination of offensive, harmful, false, or cruel information about someone simply for the purpose of humiliating or embarrassing them may constitute cyberbullying. The acts in question are often illegal and thus condemned.

The Hidden Dangers of Cyberbullying

Parents often dismiss cyberbullying as trivial due to the belief that minor damage can be caused via the internet. Cyberbullying, however, can be even more harmful than in-person bullying.

Cyberbullying occurs at all times of the day and night, so kids and teens who are victimized have a hard time getting away from bullies. While many parents consider home a safe haven for their children to escape bullying, cyberbullying follows them home.

The anonymity and difficulty of tracing such bullying make it particularly damaging and upsetting. As well as being difficult to control, the victim has no idea how many people (or how many hundreds of people) have seen what they have written. People can suffer from constant anxiety every time they check their gadgets or computers.

Despite the importance of understanding the various forms of cyberbullying, getting a complete understanding of it also requires understanding the bullies themselves and why they attack others. Boredom, revenge, anger, and the desire to provoke a reaction from their victims are some of the reasons students engage in these behaviors.

It’s also true that what may seem like online harassment may at times just be an accident. Online communication is impersonal, which makes it hard to determine whether someone is being sarcastic or not.

Cyberbullying Related Stats

• A survey by Bullying Statistics found that half of all young adults experienced cyberbullying at least once. Another ten to twenty percent reported it regularly.
• In some ways, cyberbullying might be linked to suicide. Depressive thoughts are prevalent among 80 percent of young people who commit suicide. Suicidal thoughts are often more frequently triggered by cyberbullying than traditional bullying.
• According to PewResearch, the prevalence of cyberbullying among girls is higher than among men. On average, 36% of girls reported being cyberbullied, compared with 26% of men.
• The amount of cyberbullying students experience at school can negatively affect their school performance. The odds of mental illness and behavioral problems are also higher with them. (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-factsheet508.pdf)
• According to a report published by Bullying Research, gamers are significantly more likely to be both the victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying.

Impact of cyberbullying on children

Cyberbullying is becoming more cruel, and the impact on those involved is becoming even more profound. Cyberbullying is worse than traditional bullying in many ways, infiltrating every aspect of the victim’s life and causing psychological trauma.

1. Emotional Impact

People who are victimized by cyberbullying may suffer long-term emotional, behavioral, concentration, and social issues. Their social lives might also be affected by these problems, as they may have difficulty relating to others. A higher proportion of them experience trust problems and abuse alcohol and drugs earlier in life. Peers may treat cyberbullying victims with shame, which can result in dangerous stigmas.

Many cyberbullying victims have a hard time feeling safe because of it. The feeling of vulnerability and helplessness may be overwhelming. Online bullying can affect someone at all times of the day via computer or cell phone since it can invade their home through that device. The place where they could escape is no longer available to them.

2. Physical Impact

Although cyberbullies are not physically threatened, they still suffer from physiological symptoms. Their excessive nervousness often results in headaches and stomach pain. It is also possible for them to commit self-harm. Psychological problems such as digestive issues and eating disorders can be caused by feelings of stress and anxiety caused by cyberbullying.

A child being cyberbullied may skip meals or binge eat as a result of the bullying. People who experience cyberbullying may experience sleep disruptions. Insomnia, sleeping more than usual, or nightmares are among the sleep issues they might experience. Additionally, a bullied individual’s stress can also aggravate or cause stomach ulcers, intestinal pain, or upset stomach.

3. Mental Impact

Symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are exacerbated by cyberbullying among adolescents, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The study found that cyberbullying worsened depressive symptoms more forcefully than other indicators in children from challenging backgrounds. Researchers hypothesize that cyberbullying may result in psychological maladjustment, reduced well-being, and eventually low self-esteem in young people because young people have an intense psychological need to belong to and be accepted by a peer group.

Additionally, the study indicated a vicious cycle. The likelihood of being bullied online was more significant for those who were depressed or suffering from mental health issues than those who did not suffer from such issues. Study results confirmed previous findings, the researchers said.

4. Behavioral Impact

A cyberbullied child may exhibit the same behavioral changes as a child who is bullied in a traditional setting. These individuals lack interest in activities and are secretive. In certain circumstances, when kids have been cyberbullied, going to school is too much for them. In order to avoid school, they sometimes skip classes or behave in such a way that results in their suspensions.

A further effect of cyberbullying is anger, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. In a victim’s emotional range, anger is often a dominant emotion. Some children may even consider revenge plans, as evidenced by the school shootings and other aggressions committed by bullying victims who couldn’t deal with what had happened to them.

Remember – a parent or trusted adult is informed of cyberbullying by only one in ten young people. The low number may have been caused by embarrassment, fear of not being believed, or fear of losing access to technology. To ensure your child seeks support when they need it, you can take proactive steps to educate them about how to combat cyberbullying.

You should have a gentle, honest, and open conversation if you suspect something is wrong. It’s hard to avoid being involved in a situation when your children are stressed, but there are steps that you can take to help. A parental monitoring app that tracks your child’s text message is one of the best options if chosen and implemented correctly to ensure that you know what your children are doing with their digital devices.

Parental Monitoring Apps

Giving children digital freedom and knowing when that freedom ends can be a challenge for parents. Many parents are aware that cutting off kids’ access to the internet may have adverse effects on their development and learning. Sadly, this also means that children are exposed to cyberbullying.

Therefore, installing effective security software with parental control on all devices can help parents help their kids remain safe in the digital world. Children should learn to use a security system on their devices just like they learn to lock doors when they’re alone at home.

The use of parental monitoring tools is practically essential for making sure your children are protected. It monitors what kids write and what they do on their computers, tablets, and smartphones. Although you can do this by looking over their shoulders, this is much easier to do today, thanks to technology. An accomplished and efficient parental monitoring app like Fenced.ai, Bark.us, Kaspersky Safe Kids can act as a highly amicable tool to help you protect your kids from being cyberbullied.

How Do Parental Monitoring Apps Helps To Prevent Cyberbullying

• Parents can track and monitor SMS, calls, and emails to be aware of any uncertain activities.
• Parental alerts will be sent on suicidal indications and cyberbullying immediately.
• Contributes to the development and teaching of anti-cyber self-defense
• Blocks and filters unwanted applications and websites
• Sets time limits aimed at limiting the use of social media and digital technology

Applications that provide monitoring functions of their own.

Qustodio – Best All in One Parental Control

NetCut – Best For Internet Control

FamilyTime – Best for Schools

DNSFilter – Best For Website Filtering

ReThink – Best Anti-Bullying App

How to use parental monitoring apps to prevent cyberbullying

We should begin by saying that prohibition is something you should not do with your children. In situations where cyberbullying is present from the start, the minor may want to remain silent if they are prohibited access to the devices. Parenting should be characterized by calmness and alertness, not restriction.

A kid’s phone book can be blocked from seeing suspicious contacts, certain apps can be restricted, texts and emails can be monitored, and locating them can be done through GPS tracking. As evidence when reporting cyberbullying, you can also see and use the multimedia files that bullies send to your child. It is also possible to set triggering words for your kid and receive notifications every time your kid sends or receives a message containing these words.

Cyberbullying can be prevented even before it happens when you monitor your children’s online activity with these programs. As soon as your child is the victim of cyberbullying, block the offender, preserve all evidence, take screenshots, take notes, print out text messages, etc. Cyberbullying can and should be dealt with by involving the child’s parent. Involving parents can immediately stop the behavior.

Parents never want their kids to hurt others, but if a child is being bullied, they are indeed being bullied by someone else. And that child most probably has a loving parent as well. If you find out that your child is a bully, getting them to stop bullying is the first step, but you shouldn’t overreact. Tell them you know what they’re up to and make them understand the implications of their actions. So, a parental monitoring app can’t just help you stop your kid from being bullied but also prevent them from being a bully themselves.

It is never a bad thing to have a lot of information about our children’s online activities. New platforms are popping up all the time, so knowing the ones your child is using is the best way to keep them safe.

Conclusion

In the internet-active age groups, including teenagers and pre-teens, cyberbullying is an incredibly prevalent problem. Bullies are rude, violent, unrelenting, and mean people. Learn what social media platforms your child uses and educate yourself on the many types of cyberbullying that exist. Arm yourself with information when attempting to prevent cyberbullying.

It is not uncommon for parents to be concerned their children are being cyberbullied, being targeted in some way, or simply overusing or otherwise abusing their technology privileges. As you remind them, access and use are privileges, not rights, and with those privileges come responsibilities.

Our children suffer when they are hurt, and we naturally want the pain to stop as soon as possible. Slowing down and listening is almost always best, as this can lead to a victim’s healing. Children, at least, expect it, and it illustrates our respect for them, helps them understand what happened, learn from it, gain more resilience, and regain the dignity that they felt taken away from them.

A parental monitoring app that can monitor your child’s online presence enables you to monitor your child’s online activities, identify bullies and predators, and prevent communication between your child and these people. A bullied child can suffer a lot of stress and suffer from severe consequences. Make sure your child knows they can talk to you at any time. Go even further. Monitor their online behavior to keep them safe.

Bullying starts in preschool and the impact increases as children develop. Irrespective of wherever you read, always somewhere in the range of 40 and 80 percent of the school children confess to having been bullied or harassed. So obviously, our way of life bears some duty regarding the certainty of bullying and harassment.

Tragically, the schools are still battling to execute powerful methodologies, and the situation is deteriorating. The effect of social media and bullying, appearing as cyberbullying expanded the base to affect the students mentally. The children need to be protected, and more schools have to start addressing such issues more seriously.

Modern School ECNCR-Delhi is a premier CBSE School in Delhi. The school has taken extra precautionary steps to end any such tormenting behaviour and torture in any form.

“If children have been accustomed from the start to having their world-respected, they will have no trouble later in life recognizing disrespect directed against them in any form and will rebel against it on their own.”- Alice Miller

Students must be deliberate to seek help in situations like these. But for children who need help, the teachers and parents must jump in and take charge.

1. Managing relationships

The best way to hold youngsters back from being bullied, or turning into one, is to ensure they experience a childhood full of love and care in cherishing, conscious connections, unlike the ones that use force or power to control them. Kids learn the two sides of each relationship, and they can act it is possible that one. When you punish, your kid will discover that actual brutality is the best approach to react to relational issues. The examination has more than once settled that truly training a kid is related to additional harassing practices.

2. Sticking through with the child in all situations

Quiet and shy children are the source of the bullies. Also, these kids are embarrassed that they’re being bullied, so they won’t talk about it to their teachers, friends, or parents. If your kid realizes that you will consistently stay with them and that you have their back, they are bound to chat with you about things that trouble them.

3. Keeping lines of communication open

How would you ensure your child will tell you about what troubles them? Keep in mind, nurturing is 80% connection formation – a cozy relationship with your kid – and just 20% teaching. The direction will not stick except if you have the relationship to help it, and will simply drive your child away. So, focus on your relationship with your youngster, and keep those lines of trust open, regardless.

4. Modeling respect for others

If you lose your temper and insult out other people on the road while driving, you’re showing your child that sometimes it’s alright to disregard others. On the other hand, if you don’t cause a ruckus, and do not call out other people, it’s an ideal opportunity to change that. Your child is learning from you. Test yourself before passing judgments to others. You are being noticed; your child might pick up the wrong things from your behavior. It is always better to tone yourself down, especially when you children around you.

Modern school online admission form is open for all students to apply and check out more anti-bullying and anti-ragging guidelines.

Educating oneself on bullying and cyberbullying is key to protecting children

Couples, single parents and educators need to be vigilante to research proven strategies of detection and bullying prevention, both online and at school.  Likewise, children should be encouraged to learn themselves with guidance so they will be equipped to deal with any harmful situation they are exposed to.

Common Signs Your Child Might Be Getting Bullied

Do you know what a bystander is?  It’s someone who watches an event taking place from the side lines.  They do not interact or take part in what is happening.  People talk a lot about cyberbullies and their victims. One part of this social ill that people rarely talk about is how bystanders effect the situation. Some researchers call them “cyberbystanders.”

Cyberbystanders are those who watch cyberbullying while it happens. They are the other people in chat rooms or on social media apps who can read the posts that the bully posts to the victim. Yet, they don’t do anything to help stop it.

Are you a Cyberbully Bystander?

Cyberbystanders can be middle-school kids, college students or even business associates. These people will watch the exchange and have a chance to speak up. But do they?

Many studies have been done to see exactly what happens to cyberbystanders. A university study found that only one out of ten cyberbystanders will take a stand during the exchange. The action these people take is usually limited to posting support for the victim or posting comments that the bully should back off.

Most of the time, though, cyberbystanders do nothing. The studies seem to show that cyberbystanders didn’t want to get the middle of a situation that was none of their business. They didn’t seem to make the connection that they were on a public site—making everything that happened there public.

Some of the cyberbystanders who did nothing during the bullying did take action afterwards. They sent comments to moderators or to the site’s security officers. Moderators and site security can remove offending posts and even ban bullies from the site.

Cyberbullying Prevention

Companies are taking cyberbullying more seriously these days and will often respond to comments within hours. This can help prevent further bullying, but still doesn’t make a difference to the victim of the bullying that’s already happened.

Cyberbystanders online act much like real-life bystanders. When an accident happens on the street, if there are lots of people watching, then people are less likely to help. In other words, the more witnesses there are, the fewer people will help.

That is the same online. If lots of people are watching the posts and tweets, the less likely someone will step in and defend the victim or criticize the bully. If only a couple people are reading the posts—or witness the accident—the more likely they are to step in and help. On the other hand, the more people that are following an ugly exchange online, the more brutal the bully will be. It seems that bullies like an audience.

Social scientists are still trying to understand the difference cyberbystanders make to online communication. What you can do is remember that you are probably a cyberbystander. Talk with your teachers, friends or family about what you should do when you see bullying happen online. Don’t be one of the nine out of ten who does nothing.

Protection Against Bullys

While efforts to prevent and address bullying primarily focus on awareness, education, and support, it is essential to parent may need to consider the legal steps to protect their children. Understanding the legal options available can empower parents to effectively advocate for their children’s well-being and create safer environments both at school and online.

Familiarizing yourself with anti-bullying laws and policies locally and nationally is a start. Legislation varies from region to region, but many jurisdictions have enacted laws that specifically address bullying in schools. These laws often define what constitutes bullying, outline reporting mechanisms, and establish disciplinary procedures. By becoming knowledgeable about the legal framework in their area, parents can better navigate the system and ensure that schools are held accountable for addressing bullying incidents promptly and appropriately.

In cases where school interventions prove insufficient or ineffective, parents may consider seeking legal remedies such as restraining orders or protective orders against the individuals involved in bullying. These orders can help safeguard their children from further harm by legally prohibiting the bullies from making any contact or engaging in any harmful behaviors. While obtaining such orders typically requires providing evidence of ongoing harassment or threats, they can provide an added layer of protection and peace of mind.

Bullying First Aid when you are Bullied

Are you being bullied, whether on the playground or online?  We know it hurts. Have you heard these hurtful words?

“You’re stupid, fat and ugly. In hockey that’s called a hat trick.” And the kids around the bully giggle. For a split-second you almost laugh. The insult is kind of funny. Or, it would be if it hadn’t been aimed at you. But the insult is aimed at you. And there you are, verbally slapped.

A mess of ideas run through your head. Run. Cry. Yell an insult back — but you’re flustered and the words stick in your head and mouth.

You need to be prepared to handle the situation at the moment that it happens. You need bullying first aid.

The first rule of bullying first aid is this:

IF YOU ARE ALONE OR AN UNCOMFORTABLE DISTANCE FROM A PUBLIC AREA, DO NOT LASH OUT OR BE INSULTING. SAY SOMETHING SOFT, LIKE “I’M SORRY YOU FEEL THAT WAY,” OR “I GUESS THAT’S YOUR OPINION.” THEN LEAVE. WALK CALMLY, BUT FIRMLY. DON’T TAKE A CHANCE OF BEING INVOLVED IN A PHYSICAL ASSAULT.

That said, if you are close enough to other people or have friends around you, you have options. The best option is a strategy that is both confusing to the bully and takes away all the power of his or her insult: Be nice. Be really, really nice.

How to Respond to a Bully

1. “That’s pretty funny. Do you have any more lines?”
2. “You remind me of those comedy roasts. Have you thought of doing comedy?”
3. “I wish I could stay and hear more, but I have to go. Thanks for the laugh, though.”

Being nice is a great way to show the bully that his or her words don’t have the desired effect. A bully wants you to be scared, cry or show weakness. When you show the bully that the words don’t work on you, he or she has lost.

But you must be careful.

If you see any sign that the bully is so frustrated with your niceness that violence could happen, go back to the first rule and softly excuse yourself.

The key to performing truly effective bullying first aid is to practice.

Enlist your best friend or even a parent or sibling to play the role of the bully. Have that person really get into the role (pretending that they are the villain in a movie). Try different responses.

And most definitely practice the number one rule: IF YOU THINK YOU COULD BE IN PHYSICAL DANGER, GIVE A SOFT RESPONSE AND LEAVE.

Additional Bullying Resources:

• Learn how you you can stand up against a cyberbully, read our article on CyberBullying Guide for Kids and Teens.

• Parents and Teachers, read our article on CyberBullying Guide written for Parents.

Before the world went online, children worried about being bullied at school, on the playground, or in the park. However, today’s bullies have access to mobile phones, computers, gaming consoles, and other technology. This has led to the rise of cyberbullying, and this type of digital abuse can have far-reaching, devastating consequences.

Let’s take a closer look at it and how to prevent it from happening.

Tactics Of Cyberbullies

People who haven’t experienced cyberbullying might think it begins and ends with mean comments on the victim’s Facebook profile or nasty text messages. Those are a couple of tactics used by cyberbullies, but there are many more that can gravely affect a child’s psyche.

These are the most common ways in which bullies attack people online:

• Posting hateful, nasty comments about someone’s body, ethnicity, gender, religion, race, socio-economic background, or other characteristics online
• Posting embarrassing or hurtful comments about them online
• Posting or sending them threats of violence
• Posting comments or sending messages telling them to kill themselves
• Posting humiliating or mean photos or videos of or directed at the victim
• Creating a nasty fake profile, blog, or webpage about someone
• Creating fake profiles to gain personal information about the victim and then posting or sharing that information
• Creating fake profiles to spread false information about the victim
• Doxing victims by posting personal information such as their full name, contact details, home address, credit card number, social security, and more

As you can see from these tactics, cyberbullies use electronic devices such as mobile phones to harass, mock, or threaten people intentionally and repeatedly. Victims will agree that the effects can be as hurtful and damaging as face-to-face bullying on the playground, office environment, or anywhere else.  Bullying can even be a problem in college.

Cyberbullying – The Characteristics

Cyberbullying differs from bullying that happens in person, and the tactics that cyberbullies use have certain characteristics.

These are a few of those characteristics:

Anonymity – Cyberbullying often is anonymous. Bullies hide behind fake profiles, which makes it more challenging to put a stop to them. Not knowing who is behind the abusive behavior can also make it more terrifying for victims.

Difficult to detect – It’s easier for parents to detect physical bullying. For example, mom or dad would notice if Johnny or Bailey came home from school with a black eye or a ripped shirt. It’s far more difficult to detect that a child is receiving threats online if they don’t say anything about it to their parents.

Cyberbullying is ongoing – The persistence of this type of harassment is a major factor. Rather than being limited to school hours, bullies can use their phones or other devices to attack or harass victims at any time of the day or night.

Attacks can be permanent – If others share posts made by cyberbullies, or if online content goes undeleted, their attacks can be permanent. Some social media platforms may delete abusive content if reported, but it can be impossible to track everything shared. Once something has been posted online, it’s difficult to delete it completely.

Cyberbullying can be far-reaching – Due to the nature of the internet and social media platforms, cyberbullying has a much bigger audience than bullying that happens face-to-face. Nasty posts made about someone online can reach thousands of people around the world in a few minutes.

Cyberbullying Has Serious Effects

According to UNICEF, victims of cyberbullying often feel as though there is no escape. Whether they are at home, school, or anywhere else, they know that the bully can strike at any moment. The constant threat of attack can have serious consequences.

Cyberbullying can cause stress-related physical problems such as tension headaches, stomach aches or stomach upsets, and sleep loss. It can also have an emotional impact by making the victims feel ashamed about the things they enjoy. And it can cause mental anguish by making victims feel angry, embarrassed, stupid, or upset.

Some victims of cyberbullying have been made to feel so ashamed, embarrassed, and upset that they’ve never spoken out. Of course, the bullying did not stop. It got so bad that the victims took their own lives in some situations because they could not deal with it any longer.

Parents and children need to understand that, as terrible as cyberbullying can be, it’s not the end of the road for the victim. They can regain their peace of mind and confidence again. This takes time and possibly counseling, but recovery is possible.

Cyberbullying Prevention Tips For Young People

Arguments between people happen from time to time, and they’re normal. However, if someone is repeatedly nasty to you for no fault of your own, it’s bullying. Don’t blame yourself for it, because no one deserves to be bullied.

Save the evidence of bullying. Whether the cyberbully sends text messages, posts on Facebook, or leaves nasty comments on Instagram, save the messages, download the videos, or take screenshots of the posts. Evidence may help authorities take action if you have to proceed with a bullying lawsuit to end the harassment.

Do not retaliate. Your upset or angry response may add fuel to the fire. If bullies know they’re getting to you, they’re likely to continue. If you know the bully’s identity, don’t retaliate in vengeance because that will turn you into a bully too. Instead, save the evidence and seek help.

Tell someone you trust. Even if it seems difficult or embarrassing, telling a parent, relative, friend, or teacher what’s happening can be one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Cyberbullying Prevention Tips For Parents

Follow or befriend your child on social media. This way, you can keep an eye on what they’re doing and what others are saying in response to them.

Educate your child. Tell them about not accepting friend requests from strangers, and warn against posting personal information and compromising photos online.

Learn About Parental Control Apps that are designed to monitor and prevent cyberbullying before traditional signs become visible.

Be proactive. If you see cyberbullying taking place, report the posts – even if your child is not the victim – join the fight against cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is one of the downsides of the digital age. Victims need all the support they can get, while bullies need to learn that good people will not accept their vile behavior.