Online bullies and abuse
Bullying can ruin any child's life. Online bullying or abuse can be just as unbearable as playground taunting, but harder to spot. Two thirds of bullying is verbal and those responsible can lurk in unmoderated chat rooms or can send their abuse through texting or instant messaging. Bullying can be subtle but most of the time, if your child is being bullied, they know who is doing it to them.
You can put a stop to this type of bullying only if you get involved. Encourage your children to talk to you about anything that's upsetting them. Get them to show you any messages they've received (if they've saved them) or to tell you immediately if anything new happens. Make sure they stick to moderated chat and, above all, let them know that you take it seriously. Tell them that bullying usually stops once they tell other people about it.
What you can do...
- listen, and react with sympathy. Don't tell them to ignore it - remember what it was like when you were their age. In a BBC survey, 95 per cent of children admitted that they had been bullied and one in five admitted that they bullied others as a result. Teach children that bullying is always wrong and that seeking help is right - it's not giving in
- never respond to an internet bully, this is exactly what they want. It's best to ignore them
- if bullying or abuse starts in a chat room, encourage your children to leave. They should then tell you, the moderator and the site manager/editor. If your child is being stalked or harassed you should go to the local police
Next Steps
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