Cyberbullying or cyberbullying is a new practice of mockery or harm done by a bully towards another person through the internet. As there are still many doubts about it, in this article we want to talk about this scourge of our society from the point of view of the bullies and the victims .
Because, what happens when we realize that we are the parents of a cyberbully or a child who suffers cyberbullying ? Do we behave the same?
The role of the parents of a cyberbullying victim
Knowing that these practices are happening at school or observing strange behavior of our children in front of social networks are sufficient reasons to establish strong communication channels at home. If parents and children do not have a trusting relationship , it will be very difficult for children to dare to tell their parents. They are ashamed and at the same time afraid of the reaction they have, especially if they themselves are the ones who broke any rule when using the Internet or committed some type of abuse.
That is why it is very important to ensure that, as parents, the children want and can communicate without problems, encouraging the creation of daily and relaxed talks or suggesting that they also be done at school led by external or internal psychologists of the institution. Talking with teachers is also very important, as they are more aware of the day-to-day and social relationships between children. Also, if there are already other parents concerned about the same issue, the teacher will surely have been the first to know.
At home you should also change the way you communicate . Respect, trust and love must prevail at all times to achieve this. The help of a private psychologist can be an excellent idea if a relaxed communication system is not achieved, since the professional can help the child to release tension, fear and embarrassment that the situation may generate.
The time of internet use is another measure that would be important to regulate at home. Face-to-face social relationships are very important for self-esteem and the development of interpersonal intelligence. Encourage your children to be interested in doing extracurricular activities that occupy their time in a healthier and more natural way.
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The role of the parents of a bullying child
If in your case you find that you are the parent of a cyberbully, it is likely that you will go through a denial process first , then anger and finally disappointment and sadness . Live your stages knowing that this is normal and do not confront the child until these peaks of emotions have passed.
Then seek psychological help, because it is likely that your child has empathy and value problems that in no way have to be your fault. Understanding that there are failures and that we all make mistakes is essential to move forward and not stagnate or victimize. It is useless to blame or believe a bad father or mother when this happens, the important thing is to be aware that we always have time to rectify.
Be aware of your children’s social relationships, limit their use of the internet, allow them to develop sports or leisure activities with other children that can help them develop empathy, such as theater. Playing dress-up can make them think like other different people and this will help develop their empathy and their relationship with others. Also watching movies with your children on the subject of bullying and analyzing them can be a good prevention therapy and to become aware of this terrible scourge that surrounds us.
