Question 1: What do parents and caregivers need to know about cyberbullying?
Transcript
Alyson: Since the pandemic, our kids have been spending a lot more time online, probably more than ever. With the likelihood of our kids experiencing, witnessing or even participating in cyber-bullying, quite high right now. So, what do we as parents and caregivers need to know to keep informed, and to keep our kids safe. Maybe I'll kick that off with you Sarah at Kids Help Phone.
Sarah: Awesome that's a really great question Alyson. With the pandemic, what we're seeing is kids relying now more than ever on social media, and on the internet for communication with their friends, but also with social media communities and social media personalities. That shift to the online world has really caused an increase in the percentage of young people experiencing cyber bullying.
Cyberbullying can contain a really large umbrella of behaviors, but generally it involves the use of technology to intimidate, hurt, or humiliate someone. Some examples could be sending cruel or threatening messages, posting insults on someone else's social media, or harassing someone during online video gaming. One really unique aspect of cyber bullying is the anonymity associated with it. Unlike face-to-face bullying, where we're usually aware of who is targeting us, online cyber bullying can really have more anonymity where the target doesn't know why they're being targeted or by whom they're being targeted.
The other aspect that's kind of different online with cyber bullying is having attacks that could go viral with large audiences, and for the victim that could feel like they can't get away from their attackers, or that everyone around them has seen a degrading message of them or a degrading depiction of them. We're also seeing the degree of cruelty of online attacks has really increased compared to what would happen in person during "traditional bullying".
And finally, at Kids Help Phone, what we're hearing a lot of parents concerned about is, well, how do I know if my child is a victim of cyber bullying? We see that children who have been cyber bullied often seem more upset when they are online, often avoid their computer, or on the contrary, really lean in and spend more time on their computer. They are quickly turning off their devices when parents are around. They might seem a little more reluctant to go to school. They might appear a little more withdrawn or depressed. Obviously, you know your child best, and behaviours can change from child to child, but just being aware of those changes and mood changes in behaviour can be really important as parents.
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