Cyberbullying — like plain “old fashioned” bullying — is a heartbreaking to see, especially when it is directed at innocent children. There are many things that can lead to it and there are many things that can help minimize it. I do not pretend to have all of the answers and, you can bet, if I thought I did, I would share them with the world.
See these Tips for Parents to Help Keep Kids Safe Online
But, there is one thing I do know and that is that parents have a very big role in helping to keep kids from bullying others and in helping to protect their own children from bullying. I use the words “helping to keep” and “helping to protect” as recognition that there is no single solution to this problem — but if we can help make it better, than that is a good place to start.
In this interview with Ken Molestina @cbs11ken on DFW CBS 11 @CBSDFW, we discuss some of the issues surrounding cyberbullying and you will notice that my advice keeps coming back to the parents, for a reason: We as parents are the first line of defense when things involve our children and there is no technology, service, app, or other person who can take our place.
Here are several helpful resources to learn more about cyberbullying and how to help protect against it:
- StopBullying.gov
- CyberBullying.org
- Top Ten Tips for Teens
- How can you prevent cyberbullying
- Delete Cyberbullying – Preventing Cyberbullying
- Tips to Help Stop Cyberbullying – ConnectSafely
- Cyberbullying Prevention – Gundersen Health System
CyberBullying.gov provides extensive resources for parents and answers to questions such as:
- What is Cyberbullying?
- Cyberbullying Tactics
- Preventing Cyberbullying
- Warning Signs a Child is Being Cyberbullied or is Cyberbullying Others
- What to Do When Cyberbullying Happens
- Digital Awareness for Parents
- Establishing Rules
- Tips for Teachers
- Reporting Cyberbullying
The Cyberbullying Research Center provides a very nice .pdf graphic listing these 10 tips for teens to preventing cyberbullying:
- Educate Yourself
- Protect Your Password
- Keep Photos “PG”
- Never Open Unidentified or Unsolicited Messages
- Log Out of Online Accounts
- Pause Before You Post
- Raise Awareness
- Setup Privacy Controls
- “Google” Yourself
- Don’t Cyberbully Others