Recognise the signs of Cyberbullying: The Tech Mom

By  Kudzai Nyahanana

In today’s connected world, your child is constantly surrounded by social media and smartphones. Children have now become the driving force in the creation of new tools for interaction with their peers,

and are avid adopters of sites such as Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook. While you may be prepared to protect your child from the potential dangers that lurk online, children of all ages are vulnerable to bullying as they use the web. Since the bullying happens online, the child may not even know who the bully is and may be reluctant to tell you about a problem.

Here are 12 signs that your child is being cyberbullied:

1. Appears nervous when receiving a text, instant message, or email.
2. Unwillingness to share information about online activity.
3. Unexplained anger or depression, especially after going online.
4. Abruptly shutting off or walking away from the computer mid-use.
5. He/she stops using the computer without an explanation.
6. Trouble sleeping at night.
7. suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.
8. Unexplained stomachaches or headaches.
9. Unexplained weight loss or gain.
10. Withdrawing from friends and family in real life.
11. Seems uneasy about going to school or pretends to be ill.
12. Loss of interest in favourite hobbies or activities.

It is therefore crucial to keep your eyes peeled for any warning signs that something is going wrong in your child’s world. If you notice some of these signs creeping into your child’s behaviour, it’s time to talk about what’s going on. Being the victim of cyberbullying is miserable, so don’t minimize the problem or ignore it. Try by all means to get them help, be it counselling or involving the police, as need be.

Don’t let your child suffer in silence.