Cyberbullying is a term for bullying that occurs digitally. This can mean by text or phone, online, on social media, on forums, or anywhere people share content.
Actions that can be categorized as cyberbullying include sending harmful, false, or negative information about someone, posting it publicly or sharing private or embarrassing information.
Cyberbullying is a more common occurrence than you might initially realize. More than half of adolescents and teens have experienced cyberbullying.
According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's estimated that 14.9% of high school students were bullied in the 12 months leading up to the survey.
Around 37% of people between the ages of 12 and 17 have been bullied online, and 95% of teens in the United States are online, making it an easy and accessible way to bully others.
With more teens and young people connected to devices and social media than ever before, there are increasing opportunities for cyberbullying to occur.
Whether you're a teen who's experiencing cyberbullying or you're a parent, the following are things to know and tips for dealing with this difficult situation.
What's the Root of Cyberbullying?
With more people aware of cyberbullying, there are different opinions as far as the root causes. Some would say cyberbullying has become more prevalent because there are more ways for it to occur due to the proliferation of technology.
On the other hand, some believe that cyberbullying is just an extension of bullying that would occur regardless and perhaps in different settings or formats.
Cyberbullying can cause long-term damage because of the permanent nature of some things that are posted online and in digital formats.
Cyberbullying can be persistent, as well. When you're the victim of this kind of bullying, you don't have a respite away from it. It's also more difficult for parents and teachers to notice it's going on in many cases.
Don't Respond
If you're someone currently dealing with cyberbullying, the first thing to remember is that you shouldn't respond. Responding can bring you into the situation in a way that might make things worse or could even lead to you getting in trouble.
Sometimes when you're being cyberbullied, the natural tendency is to want to fight back or share something equally hurtful or embarrassing, but that's not a good path to take.
What you can do is screenshot what's being said to you so you have records, and then block and report the person doing it to the platform they're using to bully you.
When you're experiencing cyberbullying that you believe could be threatening to you or could be against the law, let your parents know, an educator or, if necessary, contact the police.
Take Yourself Away From The Situation
If someone is bullying you online, it's easy to feel like you don't have a place where you can go to escape, but there are steps you can take.
First, after you block the person, you shouldn't be able to see their comments anymore. This is important because rereading and obsessing over what's said is only going to make you feel worse.
You might also consider a break from technology. Set aside a time every day where you break free from all technology so that you don't feel so wrapped up in that world.
Other things to remember when you're being bullied is that it's not your fault. The bully has the problem, not you. You shouldn't dwell on the situation or focus on it so much that it interferes with other areas of your life.
Update Your Privacy Settings
To avoid possible future cyberbullying situations, do an audit of all of your accounts, and make sure they're private. Higher-level settings will prevent people from getting in touch with you if you don't want them to.
Finally, if you're the parent of a child who is being cyberbullied, focus on providing a good emotional support system. Don't try to respond so quickly that you don't think the situation through.
You can make things worse for your teen if you act too quickly. Think everything through in the situation and try to figure out the best approach in this specific situation. You also need to understand that what your child is telling you is only one side of the story.
This is natural, but it should prevent you from jumping into action.
Your best course of action, aside from being a support system for your teen, could be to start by speaking to people at their school to determine what they suggest.
