What do I do if my child is bullying other kids online?

• Increase your supervision of your child's online behaviors.¹
• Spend more time with your child and find out who your child’s friends are.² Talk with your child about his or her friends and what they do together. Peers can be very influential, especially for teens. ³
• Develop clear and consistent rules within your family for your children’s behavior. Praise and reinforce your children for following rules and use non-physical, non hostile consequences for rule violations.²
• Increase your knowledge of technology. Parents may be unaware of the full range of technologies used by their children. Guidance should include information on relevant legal issues and on ways of contacting mobile phone companies and Internet service providers.⁴
• Explain to your child that this kind of behavior is unacceptable. Stop any show of aggression you see, and talk about other ways your child can deal with the situation. Providing ideas for things to do online that are constructive can be useful to a child. Make it clear to your child that you take bullying seriously and that you will not tolerate this behavior.
• Examine behavior and interactions in your own home. Is there something going on at home that is encouraging this type of behavior?
• Model respect, kindness and empathy. You are your child’s role model and he or she will learn to treat others with respect by watching you.
• Be realistic. Your child’s behavior will not change overnight.³
• Build on your child’s talents by encouraging him or her to get involved in prosocial activities (such as clubs, music lessons, nonviolent sports).
• Share your concerns with your child’s teacher, counselor, or principal. Work together to send clear messages to your child that his or her bullying must stop.
• If you or your child needs additional help, talk with a school counselor or mental health professional.²

References:

1. Kelly M. Lister, Eric F. Dubow. Aggression and Victimization in Instant Messaging, Blogging, and Face-to-Face Interactions.
2. Stop Bullying Now! U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children Who Bully
3. OneToughJob. I Think My Child Is A Bully—What Should I Do?
4. Neil Tippett, Fran Thompson, Peter K Smith. Research on Cyberbullying: Key findings and practical suggestions.