I thought I would talk about a serious concern I feel many parents have for their children, cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, or embarrass another person.
How do you know if your child is being cyberbullied?
It is often tough to spot, as the person being bullied can be too embarrassed or scared to tell anyone what is going on. They may also fear having their device taken away from them.
Christine Hawkins
Owner KMEC Hunter
Here are some cyberbullying warning signs to watch for. This information is taken directly from the following website: https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/behaviour/bullying/cyberbullying-helping-your-child
School and social life
Your child:
• refuses to go to school
• starts getting lower marks than usual
• doesn’t want to see friends
• doesn’t want to take part in their usual sports and other activities
• avoids group gatherings.
Technology use
Your child:
• is upset during or after using the internet
• spends much longer than usual online, or refuses to use the computer or mobile phone at all
• stops what they’re doing on the computer if you go past.
Emotions and behaviour
Your child:
• is more moody than usual
• shows obvious changes in behaviour, sleep or appetite
• gets unusually angry at home
• feels sick or complains of frequent headaches or stomach aches.
If you’re worried your child might be the one doing the bullying, you could start by talking with your child about being a responsible digital citizen and treating other people with respect online. Acknowledging that your child might be the one behaving this way is hard, but taking action is an important step towards getting it to stop.
In next month’s newsletter, I will share with you six steps to G.E.T.R.I.D. of a cyberbully.
