If your child has experienced cyberbullying by another minor, take action and find support:
- If the acts of cyberbullying include private messages, emails, or text messages, send the responsible account one message, “Stop.”
- Other than sending “stop” once, do not communicate with the child engaging in cyberbullying, or his or her parents or legal guardian.
- Instruct your child not to engage or retaliate.
- Offer your child support, and contact a mental health counselor, as needed.
- Document all incidents. Create an outline with dates, times, social networks, apps, websites, individuals involved, and known witnesses.
- If the child engaging in cyberbullying attends the same school or a school in the same district as your child:
- Contact your child’s principal and request a face-to-face meeting.
- Review the school’s anti-bullying policy. Be prepared to discuss how the policy was broken or challenges with the policy.
- Explain the situation fully. Be prepared, and bring organized printouts. Share what happened and how it has impacted your child.
- Outline your expectations.
- Listen carefully to the school’s response, and ask questions. Request specific information on how the school will handle the situation.
- Take detailed notes of the conversation, and summarize your understanding of the meeting and next steps.
- Follow up with the principal to ensure steps are carried out, and inform the school of additional incidents.
- Obtain copies of all documentation and reports.
- Follow up with your child to see if the cyberbullying has stopped.
- If the cyberbullying continues, consider contacting the school board, superintendent of schools, board of education, state or federal authorities, or law enforcement.
- If the child engaging in cyberbullying does not attend the same school or a school in your child’s district, contact local law enforcement.
- If your child is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, if the cyberbullying includes threats of violence, contact your precinct or village police.
- Block the account(s) of the child engaging in cyberbullying on all social networks, apps, and other sites in which your child is active.
- Report abusive content to social networks, apps, and other sites.
- Consider blocking mutual acquaintances of the child engaging in cyberbullying.
- Make sure your child does not share private information online.
- Do not publicly post information and photos of your child. Change your settings to ensure your posts are private, for connections or friends only.
- Set up alerts to inform you if content about your child is posted online at google.com/alerts.
- Find support to help prepare you to work with law enforcement or navigate the judicial process, if necessary.
- Consider contacting an attorney to explain relevant laws where you reside; advocate on your behalf with law enforcement, the school, or organizations; consider issuing a cease and desist order; or assist with defamatory content removal.
- Avoid using labels like “bully,” “cyberbully,” or “victim,” when discussing incidents with your child.
You also can reach out to the following resources with or without your child:
Stomp Out Bullying HelpChat Line
Ditch The Label Removal of Abusive Content on Social Media
“Take Action When Your Child Experiences Cyberbullying” was originally published by Lisa-Michelle Kucharz and Jeff Jacomowitz on Patch — Across New York on June 6, 2018.