My Teen Has Been CyberBullied....Now What?

By: Cheri Locke, MA, LPC, CCTP

We have all heard of bullying, but now we are in the age of social media, technology, and that brings about new ways to bully...cyberbullying. So what exactly is cyberbullying? It is a deliberate attempt to use technology to threaten, harass, humiliate, or harm others. Research shows that up to 30% of school age kids will experience cyberbullying at some point in their academic career. As a parent, you make ask yourself how you can help or what steps you can take, should your child be a victim of cyberbullying.

How To Help Your Teen That Has Been CyberBullied

Have you ever had your teen come rushing into your room crying and waking you from sleep? Well it happened recently in our household. Little did I know that my teenager had found a video that was about him. How do we handle those moments when our kids seem so broken and there seems so little we can do in the moment? Be there for them. Be open to listening to them and allowing them to talk through their experience. Then, help them protect themselves. Ask them what they need to feel safe. They may not know, but certain measures like limiting and blocking technology can be first steps. Let me age myself for a second- but back in my day bullying happened in person. If it was at school, it typically ended at school. Now days, with technology it does not stop. Help your child with that. If it is happening through social media, help them block people or apps. There are great apps for parents to help control and monitor their child's phone. (https://ourpact.com) You may want to involve the school. Let your teen's school help you handle the situation. Most schools want to be notified and part of the process, especially if the person committing the bullying attends the same school. Seek help from a therapist. Therapist's can provide useful ways for your teen and the family to handle the effects of bullying. If you would like more resources, check out this great website https://cyberbullying.org/what-to-do-when-your-child-is-cyberbullied

How To Tell If Your Teen Has Been CyberBullied

First, how do we as parents even know our teen has experienced cyberbullying? We can hope they would talk to us about their situation, but that is not always they case. The next day after my teenager found the video...he needed to come home because he was sick. Yep. My child, who rarely gets ill. A few ways to check in with your kid are to notice if their habits change. Has their mood changed and they seem depressed? Do they want to miss a certain period at school? Are they all of a sudden ill most days and need to leave school? Have they either become overly obsessed or shied away from technology and social media? Some of these changes could be clues that you need to check in with your teen.

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