Warning Signs of Cyberbullying
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?
Christine Hawkins
Owner KMEC Hunter
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.
Here are some cyberbullying warning signs to watch for. This information is taken directly from the following website: https://raisingchildren.net.au/preteens/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
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.
Hugh
Award for Outstanding
Improvement in English
Hugh’s confidence has soared since starting with Kip McGrath, what once was a “can’t do” attitude knowing he wasn’t keeping up with his peers he now feels equal. His reading fluency has transformed, he is achieving 100% in his spelling test at school each week and best of all he attempts all literacy tasks because he knows he CAN DO them!
