Cyberbullying -- it’s a problem our kids are facing more and more that many of us didn’t have to deal with growing up.
46% of kids and teens have experienced cyberbullying.
Many of today’s parents feel unprepared to protect their children from the many high-tech threats out there. But, cyberbullying in particular has become very common and can have devastating consequences.
“For cyberbullying, it could be anyone, and it could be on any device that has the internet right,” said Dr. Whitney Raglin Bignall. “So it could be on social media, it could be on gaming. And so it could essentially end up being 24/7.”
Cyberbullying can also leave a lasting digital trail, said Dr. Whitney Raglin Bignall from the Kids Mental Health Foundation.
“Whatever goes online, there is a forever record of it. You know, oftentimes people will think, Oh, I just delete. But people screenshot, and they save and they easily can send all of that information and it’s there forever,” said Raglin Bignall.
Like traditional bullying, cyberbullying can take a heavy toll on children and teens.
“Cyberbullying is detrimental to mental health,” said Raglin Bignall. “It really can have them at risk for anxiety, depression, hurting their academics and making it really hard to sometimes concentrate or even sleep.”
“Some of the worst things that can happen is they start to have suicidal ideation due to those cyberbullying.”
Raglin Bignall said parents need to be actively involved in what their kids are doing online. And if they experience or witness cyberbullying, do not engage.
“We don’t want them to engage in it, because oftentimes, when you start to engage, that’s what the person wants, right? So we don’t want them engaging,” said Raglin Bignall.
Instead, teach them to seek adult help right away.
“Start talking about it right now,” said Raglin Bignall. “Don’t wait until you think there’s a problem. I think it’s important for us to define what cyber bullying is for our kids and what we want or expect for them to do if it starts to happen, if they’ve witnessed it. We want them to be able to say, I see it, and I’m going to go talk to this adult who is trusted, and so they can help me figure out what my next step should be.”
The Kids Mental Health Foundation has free resources to help parents talk about this issue with your kids, and other practical advice on how to help keep them safe online and how to create a family social media plan. Click here for resources.