Separating reality from fiction is step one in the direction of making higher parenting selections. Let’s puncture among 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 Heart reveals that simply over 58% of middle- and high-school college students within the US have skilled on-line harassment of some kind of their lives. That’s in comparison with 37% in 2019 and only a quarter (24%) a decade earlier than that. Separate information 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.
Mother and father are rightly involved at such traits. 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 truth of cyberbullying – and make it tougher so that you can make the suitable parenting selections. Let’s debunk among the most typical fallacies:
High 10 misconceptions about cyberbullying
1. What occurs on-line stays on-line
Like many on-line traits, bullying is enabled by know-how, however has its roots deep within the human psyche. There are various explanation why youngsters might interact in bullying habits, from peer strain to low shallowness, 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 net 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 influence on their victims.
2. It’s simply youngsters being youngsters
Dismissing bullying as one thing youngsters do as a traditional a part of rising up threatens to downplay its potential gravity. Actually, it may well have a severe long-term influence 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 youngsters. 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. Actually, generally attempting to disregard it may well really embolden the bully in the event that they consider their actions are having an influence. As this woman wrote on the Unicef web site, solely by taking concerted motion and difficult the bully straight can there be hope of decision.
4. My little one will inform me if there’s one thing improper
In case your little one is trustworthy and open with you 100% of the time, you’re a fortunate dad or mum. Youngsters transfer by way of a number of distinct phases once they’re rising up, altering their psychological and emotional relationship with their mother and father as they go. Particularly once they transfer into the teenage years, they might be too embarrassed to let you know one thing is improper, or too humiliated. They could not perceive the gravity of what’s occurring to them. Or they might 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 among the greatest issues you are able to do to assist them open up.
5. Take away the tech and also you resolve the issue
Cyberbullying is enabled by know-how but it surely actually doesn’t miraculously disappear in the event 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 in your relationship together with your youngsters.
6. It’s virtually inconceivable to establish 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 buddies 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 way of harassment or bullying.
7. It’s straightforward to identify
The problem with cyberbullying is that it occurs just about. It doesn’t go away bodily scars, however can actually harm victims mentally. That makes issues tough for folks, particularly in the event you discover it tough to speak brazenly together with your kids about emotions. You may’t depend on your little one to let you know that one thing’s improper, 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 obligatory.
8. Cyberbullies are evil outcasts
When cyberbullies are lastly unmasked, the reality of their identification can usually shock family and friends. Folks can say and do issues on-line that they might by no means even ponder in the true 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 on account of peer strain. It’s straightforward to painting them because the satan, particularly in the event that they’re inflicting hurt to your kids. However the reality is normally extra sophisticated than that.
9. Cyberbullying causes numerous suicides
Official US information notes that 14.9% of adolescents have been cyberbullied and 13.6% of adolescents have made a severe suicide try. However correlation doesn’t indicate causation. Actually, there are numerous explanation why a teen might want to finish their life, and cyberbullying might or will not be a kind of causes. At any fee, we have to be alert to the hazards that persistent on-line harassment poses to probably the most susceptible members of society.
10. Social media platforms are accountable
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 raised police their ecosystems. The UK’s On-line Security Act, for instance, is among the most rigorous such legal guidelines on the planet, imposing a “responsibility of care” on sure on-line service suppliers to make sure the wellbeing of their customers. Bullying isn’t all the time straightforward to identify. Context, nuance, slang and linguistic idiosyncrasies are generally tough for algorithms to detect precisely. However they’re getting higher at doing so – as they need to. At any fee, it is vital for folks to speak to their kids in regards to 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 would 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 group.
