Are you afraid your child is being bullied or harassed online? There’s no reason to let your kids suffer in silence, as a matter of fact, there are so many things you can do to help your child deal with his or her bully.
Tell your kids to be open to you
Make your kids trust you. Most kids that are being bullied online will feel reluctant or embarrassed to open up things to you about their bully. But bullying can easily escalate, so make them speak up. As a parent, your goal is to establish a relationship with your kids that will make them comfortable to speak up to you.
Tell your kids to walk away
You know how walking away works in real life. Well, it works in Internet too. Tell your kids to ignore from their bullies, as it’s the best way to make those bullies lose their power. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Resist the urge to respond
Again, walking away can take off power from the bully. But because this is easier said than done, many kids respond and retaliate to their bullies, which only worsens the problem. Encourage your kids to take a break from computer use and do other productive activities that will interest them.
Tell your kids to report the bully
Most cyberbullying happen in social media sites, where everyone is free to say whatever they want. Sites like Facebook and YouTube however, take irresponsible and offensive posts seriously. If you report abuse to the service provider, they will automatically suspend the bully or even block their accounts for good.
For offensive emails, you can send complaints to your email provider. Gmail, Yahoomail, Comcast, and Verizon are very particular with these issues.
Block the bully
Most social media platforms and devices have options that allow you to set blocks for specific people. You can search online on how to block offensive people in social media and emails.