Separating reality from fiction is step one in direction of making higher parenting choices. Let’s puncture a few of the most typical misconceptions about on-line harassment.
21 Aug 2025
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5 min. learn
Cyberbullying, sadly, is on the rise. Knowledge from the Cyberbullying Analysis Middle reveals that simply over 58% of middle- and high-school college students within the US have skilled on-line harassment of some type of their lives. That’s in comparison with 37% in 2019 and only a quarter (24%) a decade earlier than that. Separate knowledge claims that over two-fifths (43%) of teen online game gamers have been bullied. Some had been known as offensive names. Others had been bodily threatened, whereas many had been despatched sexually specific content material.
Dad and mom are rightly involved at such tendencies. However how a lot of what you consider as gospel is definitely true? Like many on-line phenomena, half-truths, myths and misconceptions can distort the fact of cyberbullying – and make it more durable so that you can make the fitting parenting choices. Let’s debunk a few of the most typical fallacies:
High 10 misconceptions about cyberbullying
1. What occurs on-line stays on-line
Like many on-line tendencies, bullying is enabled by expertise, however has its roots deep within the human psyche. There are numerous explanation why children might have interaction in bullying habits, from peer stress to low vanity, consideration looking for and home abuse. Digital platforms like social media can allow them to bully others extra pervasively. But it surely’s not confined to the web sphere. Bullies might need to torment their victims in actual life in addition to on-line. And even when they don’t, the psychological harm they’ll inflict actually has a real-world affect on their victims.
2. It’s simply children being children
Dismissing bullying as one thing children do as a standard a part of rising up threatens to downplay its potential gravity. The truth is, it may have a critical long-term affect on the social and emotional improvement of the person being bullied. It’s additionally true that cyberbullying isn’t simply one thing that occurs to children. Trolling, doxing, revenge porn and stalking are all types of cyberbullying acquainted to most of us. Two-fifths of Individuals declare to have suffered on-line harassment.
3. Ignore it and it’ll go away
This hardly ever works. By the identical rationale, it’s a fallacy to suppose that reporting bullying habits will solely make it worse. The truth is, typically making an attempt to disregard it may really embolden the bully in the event that they consider their actions are having an affect. As this lady wrote on the Unicef web site, solely by taking concerted motion and difficult the bully immediately can there be hope of decision.
4. My little one will inform me if there’s one thing incorrect
In case your little one is trustworthy and open with you 100% of the time, you’re a fortunate dad or mum. Children transfer by means of a number of distinct phases once they’re rising up, altering their psychological and emotional relationship with their dad and mom as they go. Particularly once they transfer into the teenage years, they could be too embarrassed to inform you one thing is incorrect, or too humiliated. They might not perceive the gravity of what’s taking place to them. Or they could fear that you simply’ll punish them or take their gadget away if they are saying one thing. Reassuring them that you’re there to assist, not decide or punish, is without doubt one of the finest issues you are able to do to assist them open up.
5. Take away the tech and also you remedy the issue
Cyberbullying is enabled by expertise nevertheless it actually doesn’t miraculously disappear should you confiscate your little one’s smartphone. In the event that they’re being bullied at college, there’ll be ample alternatives for the harassment to proceed offline. Punishing your little one by eradicating their gadget will delight the bully, and do nothing on your relationship along with your children.
6. It’s virtually inconceivable to determine on-line bullies
Typically the cloak of anonymity on-line does empower bullies – simply because it permits cybercrime to thrive. However the actuality is that most bullies know their victims, whether or not they’re schoolmates, former pals or romantic companions. It’s additionally true that social media and different platforms are capable of unmask sure customers if they’re confirmed to have damaged the phrases of service by means of harassment or bullying.
7. It’s simple to identify
The problem with cyberbullying is that it occurs just about. It doesn’t depart bodily scars, however can actually harm victims mentally. That makes issues troublesome for folks, particularly should you discover it tough to speak brazenly along with your youngsters about emotions. You’ll be able to’t depend on your little one to inform you that one thing’s incorrect, for the explanations listed above. So you need to get higher at recognizing the warning indicators. Sudden adjustments in habits, demeanor or educational efficiency could also be a helpful indicator. However they’re not a given. Light inquiry can also be needed.
8. Cyberbullies are evil outcasts
When cyberbullies are lastly unmasked, the reality of their identification can typically shock family and friends. Folks can say and do issues on-line that they’d by no means even ponder in the actual world. Most bullies are doing what they do as a result of they themselves have been bullied or abused, as a result of they’ve low self-worth or psychological well being points, or as a result of peer stress. It’s simple to painting them because the satan, particularly in the event that they’re inflicting hurt to your youngsters. However the reality is normally extra sophisticated than that.
9. Cyberbullying causes a lot of suicides
Official US knowledge notes that 14.9% of adolescents have been cyberbullied and 13.6% of adolescents have made a critical suicide try. However correlation doesn’t suggest causation. The truth is, there are a lot of explanation why a youngster might want to finish their life, and cyberbullying might or will not be a type of causes. At any price, we have to be alert to the risks that persistent on-line harassment poses to probably the most weak members of society.
10. Social media platforms are in charge
Social media and messaging platforms are sometimes demonized for the position they play as “enablers” of cyberbullying. However more and more they’re being pressured by legislators to higher police their ecosystems. The UK’s On-line Security Act, for instance, is without doubt one of the most rigorous such legal guidelines on this planet, imposing a “obligation of care” on sure on-line service suppliers to make sure the wellbeing of their customers. Bullying isn’t all the time simple to identify. Context, nuance, slang and linguistic idiosyncrasies are typically troublesome for algorithms to detect precisely. However they’re getting higher at doing so – as they need to. At any price, it is necessary for folks to speak to their youngsters concerning the dangers and pitfalls of social media.
Parting thought
No dad or mum desires their little one uncovered to cyberbullying. But when the choice is to cocoon them away with out entry to the digital world, that might do extra hurt than good. The bottom line is to maintain your eyes open for any warning indicators, hold an open dialogue, and provide your emotional (and technical) assist. Devise a plan and work the issue collectively as a workforce.
