Schools can't always help
Cyberbullying is a particularly challenging form of bullying for teachers to deal with, particularly as it often occurs outside of class time.
It is important to realise that cyberbullying can often not be addressed by schools and teachers. This can be very frustrating.
Because schools can't always help, it is crucial to act quickly, and not wait for the school to get involved. Information posted online can spread quickly and be hard to remove, which makes this form of bullying particularly destructive and damaging.
If your child is being bullied online, encourage them to:
- Talk to someone they trust.
- Collect evidence. Encourage your child to take screenshots in case emails, texts, posts, or images are later removed.
- Disconnect from devices, consider deleting apps, and blocking bullies.
- Report inappropriate or offensive content on social media or messaging platforms to the provider.
- Report cyberbullying to the police.
Like with any other form of bullying, it is important to know that the consequences for victims can be severe. That is why it is important to seek help as soon as you can.
Like with all forms of bullying, there are often serious implications, ranging from school refusal and disengagement, to anxiety, depression, self-harm, substance abuse, and suicide.