How Schools & Parents can help to stop Cyberbullying? Gone are the days when bullying was limited to just part of being a kid. In today’s world, kids and teenagers use various technological forms to bully each other including social media sites, text messages, online communities and other multimedia tools to bully their fellow classmates. This is often referred to as cyberbullying. Parents, Teachers, Principals and other school professionals are completely aware of traditional bullying on the playground and classroom and may take serious steps to intervene, but often what goes on in cyberspace is much harder to monitor, leaving children alone to deal with a cyberbully’s online taunts. Bring Awareness First and foremost steps that can bring a stop to cyber bullying are to spread awareness among students and parents. Make sure to set time aside for a special discussion in the classroom and during parent teacher meetings to raise awareness and discourage cyberbullying. You should also mention that the pain of cyber bullying is real, and focus on early intervention and the risks of cyberbullying. These steps not only spread awareness,but also stop students from cyber bullying others and help start a discussion about the cyber bullying problems they are facing. Use Internet monitoring software to monitor online activities Since neither the parents nor teachers can stay with a child 24/7, the best way to ensure a child is safe online is to use Internet monitoring software to monitor their online activities, reputation, and safety. Parents and teachers both can use such software like Safetyweb to keep an eye on a child’s online activities. These software tools help keep track of what the kids are saying and what's being said about them on the World Wide Web; it can also help alert parents and teachers to possible cyberbullying. Have a School Counselor on Campus Whether a young child or a teenager, students often hesitate to discuss the cyber bullying problems they are facing with their teachers or parents. Having a qualified counselor on campus to assist the students can prove to be a great help in discussing any problems students are having regarding cyber bullying. Children who have opened up to a counselor about bullying may be more capable of raising the issues with their parents as well.
Provide Interventions and Mediation If the cyber bullying happens regularly at your school, find a way to provide intervention between the victims and the cyber bullies through a mediator or a counselor. Give each child a chance to share their feelings, discuss how they could repair the relationship, and be sure to discuss why cyberbullying is harmful. Parents should also be informed so they can open a dialog with the child and keep an eye on their online activities. Use Safetyweb to protect kids and teens from Cyberbullying & other online dangers. Safetyweb (http://www.safetyweb.com/) is a web based Internet monitoring software that automatically monitors a child’s online activities & alerts parents and teachers toany potential threat to the child. Visit our Blog especially meant for Parents – http://blog.safetyweb.com/