Stop the Cyber Bullying Monster From Troubling Your Child
Cyber bullying is a term used for harassment, embarrassment, humiliation or threatening faced by a child, preteen or teen to another child via the World Wide Web. One can also use other digital technologies or mobile phones for the same. The term is justified only when minors are involved on both sides. In case, an adult is involved, the other terms such as cyber-harassment or cyber staking is used. Cyber bullying does not involve sexual exploitation. However, sometimes, when a minor gets involved in a cyber bullying campaign, it involves sexual predators.
Several methods are used for cyber bullying and these methods can very according to the imagination of the minor & the kind of technology he is using.
There have also been cases where children killed each other & even committed suicide ones involved in such an incident.
One needs to take many preventive steps to stop cyberbullying or saving children from getting victimized. Here are some preventive measures you can use once the cyber bullying has started.
a) Develop a bond of trust
You should act on a trusted place where your child can resort to in case of a problem. This way, your child will inform you about any unpleasant incident he or she farm online.
b) Don't chide your child
Develop a bond of friendship with your child. Most children avoid telling their parents about a cyber bullying incident. This is because they fear that sharing the experience will make things worse. Ensure your child that you are there to help & understand his problem.
c) Inform the school
Once your child confirms an incident of cyber bullying, inform a responsible authority at school. This will let the child get good guidance from counselor. You may also inform your pediatrician about this. Try to provide all the support you can to your child.
d) Contact law enforcement agency
It is crucial to notify the law enforcement agency about any incident that occurs with your child. The trained volunteers will immediately provide you adept assistance & find the cyber bully offline. They will also evaluate the case prudently.
e) Boost the child's confidence
The child should feel confident. Praise the child & let him know that he is special. This is the best way to stop getting the child victimized. A confidence boost will help him take cyber bullying in his stride and stay away from suicidal thoughts.
f) Keep tabs on child's activities
You must monitor child's activities on the internet. Whenever a child gets scared or restless immediately after visiting a website or when he opens his mails, it is an indication that something is wrong. Don't ignore this behavior of your child.
g) Provide care
Remember that your love & support are the only pillars of strength for your child. Your child should know that he is cared. Let him feel pampered & get assurance that you are there when he needs you.
Cyber bullying is a serious issue. It can change the way your child sees the world. It can also affect the future of your child badly, the key is to prevent cyber bullying & take firm steps to save your child.
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