By Robin M. Kowalski, Ph. D.
Referred to as the “always on” generation, youth today are never far from their technology, creating a digital divide with their parents whose closest familiarity with something resembling an Xbox was Atari or maybe Nintendo. Today’s technology, however, provides children and youth with the potential to communicate and play games with strangers throughout the world, setting them up for the potential to be involved in cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is defined as bullying through the use of technology, specifically the Internet and cellular phone. Prevalence rates of cyberbullying vary widely depending the ages of the individuals sampled, and the venue by which the cyberbullying occurs, but anywhere from 10% to 40% of young people have been involved in cyberbullying, as either victim, perpetrator, or both. The consequences of involvement in cyberbullying are serious and include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, poor academic performance, and, in some instances, suicide. There is some relationship between involvement in cyberbullying and involvement in traditional bullying. For example, some kids who are victims of traditional bullying may retaliate using cyberbullying. This relationship between cyberbullying and traditional bullying is important because teachers and parents who are aware of a child’s involvement in one type need to inquire whether the child is also experiencing another type of bullying.
What can parents do who are concerned about their child’s use of technology and their child’s potential involvement in cyberbullying. In a word, COMMUNICATE. Clear rules for the use of technology need to be established along with consequences for the violation of those rules. These rules should include the parents’ monitoring the child’s online activities, including checking the onine histories. In the words of a young person we interviewed, however, use “supervision not snoopervision.” Follow the terms of use guidelines on social media sites, including, for example, ages at which children should establish a Facebook account. If a child is a victim, parents need to resist removing the means by which the child has been victimized. To remove the technology is to remove the child’s social lifeline and revictimize the child. Rather, communication is again the key. On our website (www.cyberbullyhelp.com), we have a more complete list of recommendations for parents and school officials that may be useful.
Read more about Kowalski’s research: Sibling bullying: What’s the big deal?
