Help Prevent Cyberbullying in Youth Programs

Children who are often bullied may not exhibit signs of bullying verbally but instead by showing certain habits and changes in behaviors. Stopbully.gov lists some important signs:

Being Bullied	Bullying Others
Unexplainable injuries.	Get into physical or verbal fights.
Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics or jewelry.	Have friends who bully others.
Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness.	Are increasingly aggressive.
Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.	Get sent to the principal’s office or receive detention frequently.
Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares.	Have unexplained extra money or new belongings.

Whether your school meets virtually or in person, it is important to identify the above signs and actively take steps to prevent bullying.

Many studies have shown that the most important factors in preventing bullying are the parents or guardians of the child. Organizations can help to work as a mediator between them and the child to show just how vital they are to the process. Studies have shown that oversight of technology is incredibly important to lowering the risk of bullying occurring in any form. Having them involved can be one of the most important factors in reducing the risk of this occurring.

So how do we get them involved?

One of the most important initiatives that organizations can take is to build a long-term relationship with the parents of the child. Taking time to invite parents to volunteer events and getting them involved in PTA organizations can be vital in preventing cyberbullying for children.

Once parents are involved, they are more likely to act and implement some of these control techniques that are listed online or in handbooks.

The resources below are vital to helping improve a child or student’s well-being, along with educating teachers and administrators on how they can help:

Keeping Parents Involved in the classroom- University of Kansas

https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/keeping-parents-involved-in-the-classroom

The Five W’s of Bullying and Tips for Prevention- Praesidium

https://www.praesidiuminc.com/five-ws-bullying-tips-prevention/

Stopbullying.gov

https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/get-help-now

https://www.stopbullying.gov/bullying/warning-signs

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