Signs of Cyberbullying: Parent's Guide

The Internet is a great place to learn, share information, shop, interact with others, and make new friends. However, in an attempt to make new friends, people often end up getting bullied online. This results in depression and anxiety, and worse, the person might develop a suicidal tendency. So, before things turn this bad, it’s crucial to identify the signs of cyberbullying.

signs of cyberbullying

This comprehensive guide details the signs to look out for and how to prevent cyberbullying. It also shares some handy tips for what you can do if you or someone you know is being cyberbullied.

Part 1: What Is Cyberbullying?

Part 2: Common Signs of Cyberbullying

Part 3: Effects of Cyberbullying on Victims

Part 4: How to Prevent Cyberbullying

Part 5: What to Do If You or Someone You Know Is Being Cyberbullied

Part 1. What Is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying, as in the name, is bullying that takes place over the internet. According to Stopbullying.gov, cyberbullying primarily happens through text, SMS, social media, online forums, or a space where people share or view content and interact. It’s a negative behavior often repeated to scare, shame, or anger those targeted. Examples include:

Posting embarrassing photos or videos of the target person on social media or spreading lies about them.
Sending threatening, enraging, or hurtful texts, images, or videos via text messages or messaging platforms.
Engaging in bullying using generative AI tools.
Impersonating someone on social media and sending messages to others on their behalf.

Cyberbullying is more common than you think. A large population of internet users are exposed to cyberbullying, but teens and children are most vulnerable.

According to Statista, around 77.5% of school students were said to receive negative or hurtful comments online. Meanwhile, 70.4% reported hearing false rumors about them on social media. Additionally, girls were more likely to experience cyberbullying than their male counterparts.

Part 2. Common Signs of Cyberbullying

Considering the increasing instances of cyberbullying, it’s high time that you stay informed on how to prevent them. To do so, you must first spot the warning signs of cyberbullying. This can be tricky, especially when the target person is a child. They often hide their devices and won’t talk about cyberbullying out of fear. So, these are the common signs of cyberbullying to look for:

Abnormal Usage of Devices: Screen time among children is on the rise, as they spend around 6-8 hours using devices daily. Although increasing screen time might make it difficult for parents to track their kids’ online activities, it can be a sign of cyberbullying. Any sudden change in their device usage indicates they’re being bullied. Children might spend more time combating bullies or stop using their phones, trying to avoid them.
Appearing Nervous: The instances of cyberbullying affect a child mentally, so they might appear distressed or nervous when a message or notification pops up. So, keep a close eye on their behavior when using their phones.
Being Secretive: Depending on the situation, a child might develop a persistent feeling of shame or humiliation. So, they may try to hide their screens while using devices or spend much time in their room on their phones. Being secretive is one of the biggest signs of being cyberbullied, so parents must watch out for their children.
Creating New Social Media Accounts: To avoid bullies, people might delete their old social media accounts and create new ones. If a child does the same, it’s important to ask why. Creating a new account might not be a practical or long-term solution, as the bullies might track it again.
Becoming Withdrawn from Close Ones: Due to the negative emotions inflicted on the victims due to cyberbullying, they may act differently with their friends, families, or loved ones. If the child gets easily irritated, is over-sensitive, or seems zoned out, they will likely have something in their mind. Cyberbullying can be a reason behind the changed behavior.

Part 3. Effects of Cyberbullying on Victims

Cyberbullying is a serious issue that affects not only the victims but the families and those who witness the incident. However, cyberbullying can be detrimental to the victim, and they might experience emotional issues. This potentially impacts their academic performance and overall mental health.

A Statista report reveals that 10% of US students missed school at least once a year due to cyberbullying. Meanwhile, 60% of students said it affected their learning and ability to feel safe. It’s thereby crucial for a parent to be aware of the effects of cyberbullying on children and teens.

1Emotional Effects

It isn’t a surprise that cyberbullying can be a significant stressor in a person’s life. A study published in the National Library of Medicine reveals that anxiety and depression symptoms are prevalent among 34% and 38% of cyberbullying victims.

mental effects of cyberbullying on
victims

In addition to feeling distressed, they might feel embarrassed, humiliated, or hurt and develop a fear of safety. As a result, they might isolate themselves from friends and family and might even develop a suicidal tendency.

2Behavioral Effects

The victims of cyberbullying may also exhibit behavioral changes. For example, they may lock themselves in their rooms for hours or lose interest in certain activities. In extreme cases, when cyberbullying lasts long, they exhibit worse behavioral changes. They might engage in substance abuse, skip school, or even carry a weapon with them.

3Physical Effects

Cyberbullying can impact a victim physically as well. The distress from bullying can cause conditions like abdominal pain, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Many experience a change in eating habits, and they tend to binge eat or skip meals. Besides, it also might affect a person’s sleep patterns. They suffer from issues like nightmares, insomnia, or sleep more than usual.

Part 4. How to Prevent Cyberbullying

With increasing exposure to the screen, the instances of cyberbullying are also growing. Although there isn’t any foolproof way to prevent cyberbullying, here are the tips that can reduce risks:

1Safeguard Personal Information

Parents must teach their children not to share personal information with anyone on social media. This is one of the best ways to prevent cyberbullying. Cyberbullies primarily try to extract personal information from children and use it to bully them. As a parent, it’d be wise to keep track of your kids’ online conversations, and KidsGuard Pro can be helpful in that respect. Its keylogging feature records everything your child types on their phone. This way, you ensure that personal information isn’t compromised.

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2Use Privacy Tools

As mentioned, when your information is easily accessible, you’re at a high risk of cyberbullying. It’s thereby crucial to use privacy tools and settings. Irrespective of the platform, turn on the privacy settings and secure the profile photo and other information.

3Location Sharing

This is typical for most teens and children, especially on platforms like Snapchat. However, sharing your location in public means strangers and outside people know where you are. It’s thereby crucial for the parents to discuss what they can share and to whom.

4Audit Social Media Accounts

Parents must sit with their children to understand what information they have put online. Determine what to keep private and what to delete. Also, ensure that you go through the friend list and remove anyone unknown.

5Monitor Social Media Use

Programs and apps are available that can monitor children's social media activities and alert parents about inappropriate photos or language. Apps like KidsGuard Pro provide details on their kids' online time and a detailed browsing history. However, kids might feel a breach of privacy, so parents can talk to their kids about it and explain why it’s crucial.

6Ignore Cyberbullies

If you’re wondering how to prevent bullying, the best advice is not to reply to cyberbullies. If you’re a kid, talk and explain the entire situation to your parents so they can take legal action against the bullies. Make sure to take screenshots of the harassing chats and submit them to the cyber investigation department.

Part 5. What to Do If You or Someone You Know Is Being Cyberbullied

If you are bullied online, the best thing you can do is talk with someone you trust. If someone you know is being bullied, ask them to do the same. The sooner you tell someone, the sooner they can do something to fix it and make you feel safe. Here are other things you can do:

Block the person who is bullying you. This includes everywhere they can contact you, such as social media, calls, texts, and others. Also, don’t accept friend requests from any unknown person.
Often, the bully's intention is to provoke you, so it isn’t wise to reply when you’re angry or upset. Try to distract yourself with something positive and relaxing.
Keep a record of the bullying calls, messages, or posts. You can keep a call record, a screenshot, or print a hard copy to provide to the police as evidence.
Report the inappropriate post to the respective social media platform. If they fail to remove it within 48 hours, you can file a complaint with the respective cybercrime helpline in your area.

There can be instances when you don’t realize what you are doing is cyberbullying as well. You might have thought it’s harmless or a joke, but the other person feels differently. Now that you understand what are the effects of bullying others, the first thing to do is stopping cyberbullying. Say sorry to someone you’ve bullied online, and don’t cyberbully again. If trying to leave the behavior doesn’t help, talk to your teachers, parents, or any trusted adult; they might help you leave it behind.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you’ve understood how bad cyberbullying can be and how it can affect a victim. Not only mentally, they might suffer physically as well. As teens and children are major victims of cyberbullying, parents must take a close eye on their kids and look for any signs of cyberbullying. This way, they can act preemptively and prevent their kids from harming themselves. Top-rated parental control apps like KidsGuard Pro can help parents keep track of their kids’ social media activities and their location, calls, and texts. So, try any of the parental control apps now for free!