Is your child being cyber-bullied?

Kids socialise very differently these days. A lot of it takes place on the Internet, a world that can be very hard to monitor as a parent. Due to the remote nature of the Internet, it may be less obvious that your child is being subjected to cyber-bullying, so be sure to watch for symptoms and talk to your child if you have any concerns.

Cyber-bullying involves the use of text messaging, email, and the Internet and text, picture and or video messaging on mobile phones. Unfortunately, it means victims can be bullied even when they’re not at school, leaving children very few places to hide. Often, children may be scared to confide in their parents regarding cyber-bullying, worried they’ll have their computer rights restricted, or their mobile taken away.

Symptoms can include:

• Excessive computer use
• Troubled sleep or nightmares
• Depression
• Anti-social behaviour
• Anxiety after using the computer
• Not answering their mobile phone or checking messages

Tips for talking to your child about cyber-bullying:

• Educate your child about cyber-bullying and reinforce which types of online behaviour are acceptable, and which are not.
• Advise them only to give their mobile number and personal email to friends.
• Suggest your child takes some time off from the computer or their mobile phone.
• Encourage your child to avoid opening emails from cyber-bullies or responding to bullies on MSN or SMS.
• Encourage them only to talk to people they’ve met in person.
• Suggest they block the bullies from their MSN.

What to do next:

• Move your family computer to a public place so you can monitor the times they’re online, and their anxiety levels.
• Contact the police if the messages are threatening.