ONLINE BULLYING INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Each case of online bullying is different and each child will respond differently to bullying. There’s no fool-proof way to tell if your child is being bullied online, but if you think they might be, try asking them about it in a non-confrontational way.
Tips if your child is being bullied online
Don’t take away the technology: Taking away your daughter’s laptop or mobile phone can alienate them from their peers and their support network.
Stay calm: Your daughter 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 just a few off-hand remarks, or is it something more serious?
Understand how your child is being affected: Every child is different, and behaviour that deeply affects one child may be water off a duck’s back to another. If your daughter is upset about a situation, let them know that you understand and it’s OK to be upset.
Teach your daughter how to use the features available on most social networking sites: for example, blocking and unfriending people. You can also show them how to update privacy settings on social media.
Work through a plan together: If you need help about what you can do next contacting your daughter’s year level Dean is advisable, along with completing our school online reporting form. You can also read more about how Netsafe can help, or call 0508 NETSAFE.