Prepare children for bullying in the digital age
Bullies are increasingly using the Internet to harass their targets, so children need to be more aware of cyber safety.
MALALANE – It’s very easy to post on or browse the internet, but this freedom comes with risks. Bullies are also increasingly using social media and the internet to target their victims.
Bullying and Internet safety were among the topics Dean Rundle, of the Proactive Education Group, spoke parents and learners on during his visit to Riverview Prep last Thursday.
He spoke to the various age groups, explaining what bullying is and how to deal with it, especially if bullies use technology to target you.
Bullying is not just physical; like hitting, or psychological, like name-calling; it can also be racially motivated, financial, and take place in cyberspace. It is something that is done deliberately and repeatedly, usually by the same person.
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Rundle told learners that bullies could include not only peers, but also parents, teachers, siblings and taxi or bus drivers.
He urged victims and witnesses to speak up and tell a trusted adult about bullying. He warned teachers and parents that bullying needed to be dealt with decisively, otherwise it would continue or even escalate.
Ways to deal with bullying include:
• Standing together to face the bully
• Not replying to WhatsApps or SMSes and to block the bully. A screenshot should be taken as proof and shown to an adult.
• Telling a trusted adult, like a teacher, the principal or a parent.
• Employing anger management techniques, such as deep breathing, to calm down.
Rundle spoke to the senior learners about the Internet and stressed that everything that is loaded online stays there forever.
READ: Tech Thursday: 5 social apps every parent should know about
He cautioned them against posting random selfies, mean pictures or opinions of others online. He mentioned that YouTube is becoming a favourite platform of bullies.
Online gaming is gaining popularity and children are often targeted by bullies, sexual predators and human traffickers on gaming platforms and forums.
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Rundle stressed that only people you know well in real life can be considered friends online. He cautioned against meeting strangers offline.
He gave the learners several online rules:
• Never give out personal information or passwords
• Tell an adult if something is not right
• Never send a picture to a stranger
• Do not do things online that you know are wrong, like spreading rumours or insulting someone
• Do not use bad language or emojis
• Do not download anything from illegal sites, as it can contain viruses.
Rundle emphasised that mean messages or “ugly” pictures spread on social media or via the Internet can go viral and get you into big trouble.
Learners were urged to block bullies, not to respond but to change numbers, email or Facebook accounts, if needed.
