Online bullying, also known as cyber bullying, is a form of harassment that extends right into your home. It used to be that when kids were in school or on the playground, bullying was a possibility, but when kids came home, they were safe and protected. If your child uses social networking sites, e-mail or instant messaging programs, bullies can use those communication tools to keep up their torment.
What Is Cyber Bullying?
Bullying itself is exerting one's power to belittle or hurt another in order to boost one's self esteem with a false sense of control. Online, cyber bullying can take the form of e-mails, text messages, blogs or comments. Many times kids don't believe that cyber bullying is as bad as physical bullying.
Types of Online Bullying
Is my Child a Victim?
You should monitor your child's activities online. Watch your child for signs of bulling, which include being depressed, withdrawn, rejecting friends and self-deprecating comments. Ask your child what is going on, and ask him to show you examples. Print them. They are evidence that you will need if you take action.
Stopping Online Bullying
Teach your child not to engage in arguments online. That is what the cyberbully wants. Ignoring is invalidating, and effective.
Keep copies of harassing emails or text messages. They are trackable and can be used to confront the bully (or his parents). Blocking the person, alerting the site, leaving the site or forum, changing e-mail addresses and seeking the help of modreators are all possible ways to protect your child from ongoing bullying by blocking the bully's access.
 | The long-term effects of bullying can include depression, trust issues and even thoughts of suicide. Parents need to watch for the warning signs of bullying and get involved when it happens. |
 | School bullying remains a very real problem, despite attempts to control it. Here are some ways parents can work with schools to stop bullying. |
 | With the potential for long-term psychological damage to both victim and the bully, figuring out how to stop bullying is of paramount importance. There are right and wrong ways for parents to help a child stop bullying. Some actions could make the situation worse, so it's important to know where to turn for help. |
Why do people bully? The old image of the child with low self esteem has given way to a deeper understanding of the reasons for negative behavior toward others. |
Kids can struggle to learn how to deal with a bully, because feelings of shame and weakness get in the way of telling others about the problem. |
