What Are the Effects of Cyberbullying? Know Some Facts and Precautions

Angel Green, a 14-year-old took her life because she was constantly being mocked and called names on her social media. Her classmates called her ‘slut’ and ‘whore’. She already had a struggling childhood where her father used to hit her and abuse her. After that classmates used to call her names and pass negative comments online and at school as well. Know more about kids like her here: https://www.familyorbit.com/blog/real-life-cyberbullying-horror-stories/

Being a parent, you might not know what is happening to your kid until the worst comes across. It is the time that we wonder what are the effects of cyberbullying on our kids. Because at first, they might seem normal because they are not sharing it with you but all of a sudden, the worst reaction comes in and the parents are left surprised and in regret. So, it is a must for parents to know some basic information about cyberbullying, its ways, its effects, and some facts. 

What Is Cyberbullying? 

Gone are the times when bullying was restricted to school playgrounds only. With the advancement of technology, bullying has also taken a new form. Cyberbullying is a sort of bullying that takes place through digital media such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, including platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. The moment your kid joins the social media platforms, they are prone to such behavior. 

Once you understand what is cyberbullying, some necessary actions must be taken. Kids must be taught well to manage their privacy and know who to trust over these platforms. They should be guided about sharing their pictures and chats with friends and strangers. However, to guide them well, it is a must to know what can be the causes of cyberbullying. 

Causes of Cyberbullying

Usually, it all starts when a kid becomes a bully. There are plenty of causes of cyberbullying leading to this behavior but most of the time it is the bad childhood, stressed out situations, and other worse experiences.

Victims have no such part in it because they are dragged into this situation. However, mostly the victims are the shy ones who have little confidence and are unable to stand for themselves. Some of the main causes of cyberbullying are:

• When kids face some issues and difficulties at home, they become aggressive and choose the wrong paths to fill in the hole they have. Usually, these issues are parents constantly fighting with each other, abusing each other and the kids, and worse, violence. 
• When the kids have low self-esteem, they feel they are unable to do something about it, so they usually hurt other’s self-esteem to feel good about themselves. 
• Most of the bullies are males and they have high aggression due to something they face in life. If you are pressurizing your kid all the time, telling him to be better, abusing him, then there are pretty much good chances that he is going to end up being a bully. 
• Sudden stress and trauma can also lead to unusual behavior such as bullying. There might be a terrible fight, an accident, or anything of this sort that can lead up to this path. 
• Recent failed relationships, embarrassments, and regrets can also make a kid choose the bullying path. Many kids want to get back to their exes by humiliating them. 

If you are concerned about your kids, make sure to keep a good eye on them. You must know when they are disturbed and what sort of path they are choosing. Bullies are born in homes and it is the duty of parents not to let their kids be like one. 

Some Facts About Cyberbullying

If you still think it is not that of a big deal, there are some facts about cyberbullying to consider when dealing with cyberbullying. These facts indicate the seriousness of the situation and how much is needed to be done to prevent this:

• About 37% of young people have already suffered from cyberbullying. Many of them have experienced it more than one time. 
• Girls are more likely to be bullied and harassed as compared to boys. There are more cases of harassment reported by girls than boys. 
• Only 1 in every 10 victims gather the courage to share their sufferings and experience with elders. 
• Many kids have reportedly said that they would like to intervene to protect others from being bullied. 
• 60% of the youth who suffer from cyberbullying don’t do anything about it. 

With these facts and numbers rising, there are plenty of precautions that are required to save your kids from this. Once your kid becomes the bully or victim, there is no going back. So, they need to be taught to make the necessary precautions. 

Role of Parents

Since kids get involved in cyberbullying mostly during their teenage years or sometimes even in adolescence, they are still under the supervision of their parents. There is a lot that the parents can do to stop their kids from choosing the wrong path. 

Parents can use parental control apps to keep an eye on the online activities of the kids. You can know what they are sharing and how other people are responding. You can have a look at their chats, call logs, etc. This way you will know if your kid is facing any troubles or not. Also, you can guide them along the way about the correct use of the internet and social media platforms.

The concept of parental control app is not to suffocate your kids. It is all about being with them and knowing when they are in some sort of trouble. This way you can show them that you are with them and that they can talk to you about anything they want. They must feel like they can share everything with you without being judged because when you criticize them for something, they hardly prefer to talk to you again let alone share their sufferings.