NortonLifeLock Shares How to Help Protect Kids From Cyberbullying
By Kevin Alejandro Roundy | Technical Director, Norton Labs
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2022 / One of the biggest online threats facing people of all ages, but especially teenagers and young adults, is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a growing problem in schools due to the anonymity of the internet and the speed at which rumours, threats and embarrassing photos can be spread. Our nonprofit partner, the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA), has launched a campaign to help parents and educators understand what they can do about cyberbullying, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
Last week I attended a webinar with NCA and a panel of experts to raise awareness of cyberbullying while sharing tips on how to prevent and report cyberbullying with almost 200 participants.
What is cyberbullying?
We started by defining cyberbullying. The term itself is subjective and changes as technology changes, but the government defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves an actual or perceived imbalance of power (1). Online, it can mean anything from private photos shared without permission to threatening or hurtful messages. Bullies can even use fake accounts to impersonate their victim and steal their social identity to cause more damage.
Cyberbullying Tips
As children begin their lives online ever earlier, technology today has enabled bullying on a scale that did not exist generations ago. Keep this in mind when you or your children are posting or surfing. Here are a few tips:
Keep some secrets. You can log onto social media for an escape or post that cute picture of the hike you took. However, pay attention to who can access details about your children’s interests, habits, or even occupations to reduce their exposure to bullies they don’t know. Set your privacy settings on your Instagram and Facebook accounts to “private” so only people you know can see your information, not the general public.
Avoid escalating the situation. Responding with hostility often provokes bullies, most of whom thrive on the reaction of their victims. If you or your child receive unwanted emails or messages, you should block the sender and report them on social media to try and fix the problem right away. You should also document the bullying and keep a record of online activity and relevant dates and times.
Discuss online safety with your children. As your kids start spending time online, they will likely identify social media influencers that they admire and might want to emulate. This can lead them to accept all social media followers and over-share personal pictures and videos, as well as sensitive information, dramatically increasing their risk of cyberbullying. Use our free resource to get help starting these conversations with your kids The intelligent conversationthat helps families to set common ground rules for digital security.
Report cyberbullying to the authorities. If you have taken action to stop the problem but it persists or even escalates, you should contact us for help. Many school districts have online reporting options, while clubs, athletic teams, places of worship, and other extracurricular groups should have someone who can step in and help. If that doesn’t solve the problem or you fear for the victim’s safety, it’s time to contact local law enforcement. While there is a difference between free speech and a criminal offense, law enforcement officials can help clarify the legal ramifications and let the bully know you mean business.
Check out NCA’s News for more tips Cyberbullying Awareness Toolkit or view the webinar summary here.
Cyberbullying is a serious problem and we can work together to learn how to recognize, prevent and stop it to make the internet a friendlier place for our children.
(1) https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/what-is-bullying
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