Did you know that one in five young people in New Zealand have been the target of online bullying – it can happen to anyone, and it can be hard for parents to deal with.

Netsafe has advice for parents on what to do if you think your child is being bullied online:

Stay calm: Your child needs to be able to talk to you and know that you’ll be level headed, thoughtful and helpful in your response.

Evaluate the situation: It’s important to know exactly what’s going on before you can work out what to do next. Is it a few off hand remarks, or is it something more serious?

Understand how your child is being affected: If your child is upset about a situation, let them know that you understand and it’s OK to be upset.

Block or report content: Teach your child how to use the features available on most social networking sites including blocking and unfriending people and reporting content. You should also show them how to update privacy settings on social media – if you’re not sure how, visit the safety centres of the social media platforms they use. You may want to block phone numbers that are sending bullying or abusive messages. You can find instructions for blocking numbers on your phone by searching online. Use the words “how to block phone numbers” + the model of your phone.

Ask for help: You can contact Netsafe at any time for free help and advice on what you might be able to do to help your child. If the bullying is happening at school, or involves students at the school you can also contact your child’s teacher to talk about the situation and options available to resolve things.

For more information about online bullying visit netsafe.org.nz/parents-bullying