The Other Side of Cyberbullying

While parents of the bullied child may find it easy to block the bully and extend their open and loving arms to their child, finding out that your child is the bully can be heartbreaking and disappointing.

When your child is the bully

Once you have established the truth that your child is the bully, don’t let your child escape from his misdemeanor scot-free. You have to address the problem head-on. Don’t wait for it to go away.

Talk to your child firmly about his or her actions.

Explain the negative impact of his or her actions to others. Explain to your child that joking and teasing might seem harmless to one person, but it can be hurtful to another.

Tell your child about the consequences of his or her actions. Clarify that bullying of any kind or form, is unacceptable. Make clear about the serious (and sometimes permanent) damage it can do to another person. Tell him that it can result to problems in school, home, and in the community.

Remind him that the use of mobile phones and computers is a privilege given to him. If it is needed to confiscate or restrict your child from the use of electronic gadgets, tell him that you will give back the privilege once his behavior improves. If he needs a cellphone for safety reasons, make sure that it is a phone that can be used only for emergencies. Impose parental controls on your child’s devices.

Talk to your child’s teacher or guidance counselor to identify other problem areas that may be related to his being the bully, such as academic performance or untoward behavior in school.

If your child has difficulty in handling his anger, frustration, and other strong emotions consult a professional, like a therapist, psychologist, or guidance counselor.

Help the professional of your choice in making your child develop confidence and social skills that can in turn reduce the risk of bullying.

“Guidance begins home.”

Always set good examples to your child. Model good online habits to make him understand the benefits and dangers of life in the digital world.

Erratum: I misspelled a word on the third to the last line of the first paragraph in last week’s article on Cyberbullying. It should read as “TWITTER” and not as printed. I guess my mistake just showed my real age. My apologies.