Quad Cities Looks At Possible Rise In Cyberbullying Amongst Kids

Bullying has never been a good thing, but in the past it was face-to-face. You knew who was making fun of you, and who to confront or to avoid. Cyberbullying is a different story. People can create fake accounts, tag you in posts, make stories about you, and so much more. Kids could be facing some of the worst bullying and not even know where it's coming from.

Online learning has played a large role in the growth of cyberbullying. According to KCRG the threat of cyberbullying for kids is very real. Angie Boy, a program manager at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children stated,

"There’s no escape from cyberbullying because it follows you home, because your technology follows you home."

 

"Children have higher levels of anxiety, higher levels of depression as a result of dealing with cyberbullying, which can then have an impact on their behaviors as they continue to age."

Clearly this form of bullying has long term effects. While this type of bullying has been around for a few years now, it is still growing and evolving. Thanks to the internet creating a barrier between these kids, some bullies no longer see their victims as fellow kids, rather just an online target, potentially leading them to say even worse things then they would in person.

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There are cyberbullying signs to spot. Things like your child not using their device as much, and other small simple signs. Experts like Boy suggest looking for red flags and trying to help. You can learn more about that here. 

It's a new, and sometimes scary world we live in today, so it is important to check up on your family.