With nearly 50% of U.S. teens having experienced some form of bullying or harassment online, parents have a highly concerning danger to protect their kids from.
But before you learn how to stop cyberbullying, it’s important to identify the signs.
The Main Signs of Cyberbullying
If you notice something off about your child’s behavior, look for these signs of cyberbullying:
1. Withdrawing from friends, family, hobbies, and things they usually enjoy.
2. Nervous when they get text messages or emails.
3. Avoids going to school by pretending to be sick.
4. Unexplained anger and mood swings.
5. Unexplained depression.
6. Suicidal thoughts or attempts.
Effective Tips for Parents: How to Stop Cyberbullying
There may not be a single correct answer on how to stop cyberbullying, but you can prevent it from happening. Here are five things every parent can try to protect their children and teach them how to protect themselves.
1. Pay Attention When Listening to Them
It isn’t easy for a child who’s being bullied to approach their parents or other adults, even if they trust them. That is unless they feel completely safe.
The best thing a parent can do in this situation is lend them an empathetic ear and make them feel heard. Do not judge them or broach the topic yourself; let them open up to you when they feel comfortable. Remember that it can take a lot of courage for them to confide in you.
2. Discuss Cyberbullying and Protection With Them
Try to maintain honest and open conversations with your child at all times. If you’ve learned about a case of cyberbullying on social media, talk to them about it casually. Let them come to you when they’re curious about something. Even if it’s a simple and obvious question, answer it seriously.
Ask them about their friends online, too—who they talk to most and whether someone’s behavior is bothering them.
3. Teach Them Safe Internet Use
Give your children basic information about the Internet and the safest ways to conduct themselves online. Ask them if they’re aware of online predators, cybercriminals, pornography, pop-ups with malicious links, and such.
You can also educate them about privacy laws and security settings on their devices.
4. Increase Their Self-Confidence
Children and teens may not understand that they’re being cyberbullied when it happens to them. However, building your child’s confidence can indirectly help stop cyberbullying by keeping them from being targeted.
Teach them how to set boundaries with anyone they meet, tell them what disrespectful or unsafe behavior looks like, and inform them about name-calling. Give them lessons on assertiveness to improve their confidence levels.
5. Monitor Their Online Activity
Monitoring your child’s social media is no difficult task with a phone tracker like mSpy. The app’s social media monitoring features enable you to watch over your child’s chats, call history, see someone’s activity on TikTok, location, app activity, and more. You can also view their deleted messages and what they’re searching for online.
mSpy cannot be detected and does not let anyone else see what you’re seeing. Plus, installation is a breeze.
mSpy Installation Process
● Visit the official mSpy website and click the TRY NOW button.
● Enter all pertinent details.
● Pick a subscription plan and complete the payment.
● Install mSpy on the target phone.
● Log in to your account.
● Find the Control Panel and get started!
Final Thoughts
The Internet opens up a whole new world for your child. A world that comes with many dangers and risks. Teaching your child how to navigate through the good and avoid the bad is key. But some behind-the-scenes cyberbullying protection will help put your mind at ease.
Jessica has a flair for writing engaging blogs and articles. She enjoys reading and learning new things which enables her to write different topics and fields with ease. She also strives to break down complex concepts and make them easy for anybody to comprehend.
