Anti-Bullying Week in UK
Apparently it is Anti-Bullying Week in the UK and this year the focus is Stay Safe in Cyberspace. It’s a great national initiative over there that I felt was worthy of sharing with folks over here.
The only thing that irritates me about this article – and about the fight against cyberbullying in general – is the fact that there is so much emphasis on recognizing signs if your child is a victim… but what about recognizing or realizing that your child is THE BULLY!?
That’s where we come in (see: PC Pandora)
November 15, 2009
Anti-bullying specialDo you suspect that a young person you know is being bullied? Start here to find out how to spot the signs, and how to help them
The links above are to third parties’ websites, the contents of which are not the responsibility of GMTV.
It’s National Anti-Bullying Week and this year the focus is Stay Safe in Cyberspace.
Recent research has found that more than 33% of 12-15 year-olds have faced some form of cyberbullying.
With increasing numbers of primary age children using social networking sites and getting their first mobile phone, it is really important that parents are able to help and support them. They also need to make sure they learn how to use this technology safely and responsibly as their behaviours are still forming.
You may be unsure if your child is being bullied. If you suspect that this may be happening, look out for the following signs. You may see one or more signs, for example your child could:
- show signs of stress – being moody, silent or crying,or bullying a younger sibling or friend
- make excuses to miss school, such as stomach complaints or headaches (or your child may be skipping school altogether)
- seem upset after using the internet or mobile, or change their behaviour – for example, no longer wanting to look at new text messages immediately – and be secretive and unwilling to talk about their online activities and phone use
- be withdrawn in their behaviour
- have more bruises or scrapes than usual change their eating habits
- have torn clothes, school things that are broken or missing, or have ‘lost’ money
- sleep badly
- be wetting the bed
There could be other reasons for these signs, so you need to ask yourself:
- Could there be anything else bothering your child?
- Could there be changes in your family life like a new baby, or divorce or separation that may be affecting your child’s behaviour?
ABA has offered parents the following tips to help parents protect children/young people and for children and young people themselves:
For Parents
- Know which websites your children visit and help them find the ‘report abuse’ or ‘block sender’ options so they can feel in control
- Tell your children not to reply to unpleasant messages
- Urge them to keep evidence – not to delete bullying texts, emails or posts on social networking sites
- Make sure they act thoughtfully in cyberspace – comments and photos can stay online forever and texts can be forwarded widely
- Ensure they protect their password to keep their files and information safe
- Encourage them to take action and talk to you if they are cyberbullied
For children and young people
- Don’t give out personal details such as your mobile number, address or email online
- Regularly check and clean your ‘friends’ lists on social networking sites
- Keep evidence – callers and mailers can be traced
- Find the ‘report abuse’ or ‘block sender’ options on your favourite websites
- Remember that sites you’ve created and emails you’ve sent can be traced back to you months or years later
- Protect your password to keep your files and information safe
- If you are being bullied in any way you must tell someone who can help – a teacher, parent/carer, friend, sister/brother or other relative
When a child is the target of cyberbullying, they can feel alone and misunderstood. It is therefore vital that, as a parent or carer, you know how to support your child if they are caught.
