Top tips for preventing cyberbullying

CYBERBULLYING is a problem, but how big or significant a problem remains to be determined.

Its apparent growth may be due to the increased prevalence of electronic devices, the obsession with going online and staying connected, and the awareness that these factors could cause problems, including exacerbating mental health issues such as substance use disorder.

According to some surprising cyberbullying statistics, the rate of the problem may be declining. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show the rate of cyberbullying among high school students was 14,5 percent in 2017, down from 19 percent in 2016. But the Cyberbullying Research Center says in 2019, lifetime reports of cyberbullying were 36,5 percent, an all-time high.

Cyberbullying is a very harmful act that can lead to substance abuse issues, suicide, or poor school performance for bullying victims. .

Cyberbullying or electronic bullying is bullying that does not happen in person but via electronic devices—laptop or desktop computers, smartphones, tablets—and as much as 92 percent via online forums and message boards— Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—public or private.

Not every mean thing posted on social media is cyberbullying, just like not every mean or insensitive comment at school or a social gathering qualifies as bullying. The generally agreed-upon legal definition of bullying requires three elements:

The harm caused by the bully, behavior or words, must be intentional.

The target must have less real power, physical or psychological, than the bully. The harm recurs over time. Individuals involved in bullying or cyberbullying involvement include bullies, the bullied, and bystanders. Sometimes bullies are themselves bullied, creating another category: bully-victims.

So, starting conversations about online safety as early as possible can help prevent cyberbullying from happening to your child.

Have age-appropriate conversations. No matter your child’s age, you can talk about cyberbullying. Doing this will help them:

The lessons we can learn from snipers extend beyond the battlefield and into various aspects of life, including business and personal endeavours.