Cyberbullying: How to Spot, Stop, and Stand Up to It 🎥
Experts’ advice on how to navigate cyberbullying, whether your child is the bully or the victim.
"These platforms weren’t designed with wellbeing in mind."
Merve Lapus, VP of Education Outreach at Common Sense Media, sat down with Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, Chief Medical Officer of The Jed Foundation, Dr. Kishonna Gray, Professor in Writing, Rhetoric, & Digital Studies at the University of Kentucky, and Devin Moore, Founder of Race to Speak Up! and Author of Devin Speaks Up!, to discuss the differences between cyberbullying and “traditional” bullying, and how parents can support their children who may be facing either. Because cyberbullying is common in social media and online gaming spaces, it’s important that parents and children can identify it, take steps to prevent it, and become upstanders to the bullies.
4 key takeaways from the panel
- Cyberbullying and “traditional” bullying don’t look exactly the same
- Cyberbullying follows young people home, can go viral, and is easier for adults to miss. Cyberbullies can be anonymous, as opposed to “traditional” bullies, who are usually identified. On gaming platforms, there’s a difference between “trash talk,” which is common among young gamers, and cyberbullying, which may consist of weaponized reporting or racist, sexist, or homophobic comments. Kids often don’t realize the weight that these carry, so having open conversations about harmful language will help their understanding.
- Understand the gaming platforms your child uses
- Online gaming cyberbullying often flies under the radar because parents don’t always understand how these platforms work. Ask your child non-interrogative questions like, “What’s that game you’re playing?”, “Which friends do you play with?”, and “Can I play and hang out with you?” to keep the conversation going.
- Know the warning signs
- You know your kid, so look out for changes in their behavior. Maybe they don’t want to go to school anymore. Maybe they’re withdrawing from their favorite activities. Maybe they’ve become secretive with their phone, deleting and redownloading certain apps. You don’t have to be a professional, and parents know their child’s normal behavior best, it’s better not to be.
- Having a supportive team at home encourages victims of cyberbullying to rise above
- If your child comes to you about cyberbullying, brainstorm how to handle the situation together. Ask them to show you any evidence and if they’re comfortable with you taking photos of it. Ask if they’re open to blocking the bullies or deleting certain apps for a while. Ask if they would like you to talk to the bully’s parents or their school. When parents believe their kids and consider how they want to approach the situation, children are more likely to continue opening up when something is wrong.
Bullies, themselves, are also at an increased risk of mental health issues, so if you find out that your own child is one, have an open conversation to understand why they feel the internal need to cyberbully. Either way, it’s crucial that adults step in, work together to find solutions, and assure children that there is a way out.
📞 Get help dealing with cyberbullying. If you or a loved one is dealing with dark thoughts, dial 988 to speak with someone from the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential, and 24/7 resource.
Watch the full panel here
Parents, want to learn more about the effects of cyberbullying and how to protect your kids? Check out this article.