24 February 2015

Image of Bullying in the Digital World- Advice for Parents

Bullying in the digital world

If your child is being bullied online, it can be hard to know how to respond and where to turn for advice and support for them, and for you. We’ve brought together some tips to help you.

  1. Give your child time and space to explain what has been happening and listen to what they would like to happen
  1. Take their concerns seriously and try and stay calm, even if you hear something distressing
  1. Try not to blame, even if your child has done something you advised them not to
  1. Keep evidence - save any messages as proof, take screenshots of private messages - and don’t delete anything
  1. Limit further bullying: remove the bully from friends’ lists and set your child’s profile to private on social media sites; and block any offending phone numbers
  1. If the bully is someone at school, talk to a teacher and ask about the anti-bullying policy
  1. Try not to ban internet use – they may well be getting support from friends online
  1. Speak to someone at LSA, it’s always a good idea to keep school informed about these things as college staff, form tutors and staff will be able to help in some way

You can report online bullying or other aggressive behaviour on your child’s behalf to your internet service provider or mobile phone company.  You can also report directly to the most popular social media sites: www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/help/Contact-social-sites.

For more information on bullying for your child, go to www.antibullyingpro.com