INDIANA – Bullying may begin in the classroom or on the playground, but today’s children and teens can face it anywhere – even in the comfort of their own home through their electronic devices. Bullying generally involves intentional, repeated behavior that causes harm. That harm can be physical, social, emotional, or psychological.
One form of bullying is cyberbullying, which occurs when someone uses digital technology to send, post, or share harmful or hurtful content. Social media, text messages, and online platforms can all become spaces for cyberbullying. Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping children recognize cyberbullying and understand how to respond.
How to Respond to Cyberbullying
Encourage your child to take the following steps if they experience cyberbullying:
- Don’t respond. Responding with hurtful comments can escalate the situation and cause further harm. Remind your child that retaliating is not the answer.
- Block the person. Blocking the individual can prevent them from contacting your child or appearing in their social media feed.
- Save the evidence. Take screenshots of harmful messages, posts, and comments. This documentation can help parents, caregivers, school personnel, and social media platforms address the situation. Encourage your child to report abusive behavior through the platform’s reporting tools.
- Tell a trusted adult. Encourage your child to talk to a parent, caregiver, teacher, or other trusted adult. Friends can offer emotional support, but adult involvement may be necessary to address the bullying and help keep everyone safe.
Children can also be encouraged to become upstanders by supporting peers who are being bullied and reporting the behavior to a trusted adult.
Protecting Children from Online Predators
Cyberbullying is not the only online risk children may encounter. Online predators may use digital platforms to manipulate, exploit, or harm young people. Some pretend to be children or teenagers, create fake profiles, or claim to share a child’s interests to build trust. Others may use gifts, compliments, or special attention to gain a young person’s trust.
Open conversations about online safety can help children recognize warning signs and feel comfortable asking for help.
Parents and caregivers can reinforce these safety practices:
- Understand the apps. Review the terms, privacy settings, and age requirements of the digital platforms your child uses.
- Speak up about inappropriate contact. Make sure your child knows to tell a trusted adult if they receive inappropriate messages, requests, or images.
- Be cautious with online connections. Encourage children not to accept friend requests or communicate privately with people they do not know. Remind them that online identities can be misleading.
- Protect personal information. Avoid sharing identifying details, such as a full name, address, phone number, or school, on public platforms.
- Think before posting. Remind children that digital content can be saved, copied, and shared beyond their control, even if they later delete it.
Digital safety is an ongoing conversation, not a one-time lesson. Parents and caregivers can help protect young people by staying involved, setting appropriate boundaries, and creating an environment where children feel safe discussing their online experiences. By being proactive, adults can empower children to make safer choices, recognize warning signs, and seek help when something doesn’t feel right.
Rebecca Williams, MSW, LSW, is a Youth First Mental Health Professional at Orleans Elementary School in Orange County, Indiana. Youth First, Inc., is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides over 100 highly trained mental health professionals (primarily master’s level social workers), prevention programs, parent engagement coordinators, and bilingual support personnel to 138 schools across 15 Indiana counties. Over 56,000 youth and families each year are served by Youth First’s school-based social work and community programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org or call 812-421-8336.
