How to know if your child is a Cyberbully

It can be tricky for a parent to figure out if their child is experiencing cyberbullying; more than half of the children who experience cyberbullying do not tell their parents about it. And while around 55% of teens report having observed bullying behavior online, 95% report ignoring the behavior when it was observed.

There are a few tell-tale signs that can give clues that your child might be engaged in cyberbullying:

1. Long Periods and odd hours of internet use.

- Changes in a child's patterns of internet use, including increased or unusually long hours spent online, and/or odd hours may be signs of cyberbullying. A child engaging in cyberbullying behavior may become upset when their internet usage is confronted or cut off by parents.

2. Excessive social network accounts.

- Children who maintain an excessive number of social networking accounts may be using them to follow and harass others.

3. Friends who have engaged in bullying.

- If a child's friends are known to have engaged in cyberbullying, or exhibit behaviors of a typical bullies, it may lead to a child engaging in such behavior in order to fit on a group.

4. Changes in behavior.

- Marked changes in behavior, including sudden skipping and inconsistency in schoolwork, may be signs that a child is spending too much time online, and possibly engaging in cyberbullying behavior. Children who seem to be hiding aspects of their internet use by changing their screen, closing windows, avoiding conversations about online habits, or hiding their phones when parents walk by might be a sign of cyberbullying. A child may display moodiness or irritability when they are unable to use their computer or phone.