Protecting Kids from Cyberbullying with Social Media Monitoring

​​Remember the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? Unfortunately, it’s not true. Words can hurt and put kids at risk of anxiety, depression, other stress-related disorders, and even suicide. Add in digital communication and the problem of bullying becomes even worse because a child can be harassed 24/7, insults and/or lies can live on the Internet forever, and because the interactions can be anonymous, tormentors are often even more cruel. ​StopBullying.gov defines cyberbullying as “sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else.” It can range from social media harassment to cruel trash-talking in an online game. Depending on the age group, up to 43% of kids have been bullied online. To combat this serious threat, adults need to learn about cyberbullying and help the kids around them to cope in healthy ways. Teaching kids about social media privacy and the harms of oversharing may also help to overcome cyberbullies.

The best way to combat cyberbullying is to prepare kids before they go online and teach them about social media privacy.

• Explain what cyberbullying is and ask kids to tell a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult if it happens to them or a friend.
• Caution kids about sharing information online that could be used to embarrass them.
• Also teach them not to participate in cyberbullying, themselves. PacerTeens recommends telling them, “When you make comments about someone else, imagine how you would feel if someone said that about you.”

​Once kids go online, be alert to signs of cyberbullying. These can include avoiding using their devices, seeming angry or depressed after using them, or avoiding discussions of their online activity. Other signs can include being withdrawn or being uneasy about being at school or outside.

​​If you find out a child is being bullied, experts say it’s appropriate to get involved. Research shows that quick and consistent response by adults can stop bullying behavior over time by sending the message that it is unacceptable. The trick is to intervene in a way that respects and empowers the child and doesn’t make the situation worse. Cyberbullying.org recommends listening to the child’s perspective on how to improve the situation and working with them on an action plan that may include meeting with bullies, their parents, and/or school officials to address the problem.

​Intervening in a child’s online social life is complicated, but there are some great resources available. Check out this excellent booklet from Cyberbullying.org or the resources available for parents, kids, and schools at StopBullying.gov.

Even adults can run into bullying on the Internet, so the sooner we prepare our kids to handle the sometimes mean streets of the “information superhighway,” the better off we’ll all be.