Cyberbullying is not only on the rise nationwide, but also here in the Morongo Basin. With students back in the classroom following pandemic shutdowns, cyberbullying has taken on a life of its own with mass social media accounts created to bring down students and education staff. According to stopbullying.gov, A child can be bullied, bully others, or witness bullying online. Parents, teachers, and other adults may not be aware of all the digital media and apps that a child is using and the more digital platforms that a child uses, the more opportunities there are for being exposed to potential cyberbullying. To combat this growing concern in the high desert, reporter Ernest Figueroa offers these tips for both parents and students…
Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior. Some of the warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying include noticeable increases or decreases in device use, including texting, a child hiding their screen or device when others are near, and avoids discussion about what they are doing on their device and if a child becomes withdrawn or depressed, or loses interest in people and activities.
If you notice warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying, take steps to investigate that child’s digital behavior. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying, and adults should take the same approach to address it: support the child being bullied, address the bullying behavior of a participant, and show children that cyberbullying is taken seriously. Because cyberbullying happens online, responding to it requires different approaches. If you think that a child is involved in cyberbullying, there are several things you can do, including recognizing the change in behavior, talking about the bullying, documenting all interactions of what is happening and where, reporting the bullying to the social media site, your child’s school, or law enforcement, and supporting the student.
