Social media gives us the opportunity to keep in touch with loved ones no matter the distance or time of day. Unfortunately, it’s not all positive.

Some individuals hide behind the supposed anonymity of these platforms to bully others. Known as cyberbullying, this presents a real challenge for teens and tweens — all of whom are navigating crucial periods of their lives. Unfortunately, nearly one third (31%) of middle and high school students surveyed by the Cyberbullying Research Center reported experiencing cyberbullying.

Here are some recommendations to mitigate the risk from this threat.

Tips for parents to prevent cyberbullying:

• Monitor your child’s computer usage. Computers should be kept in communal areas, not in your children's rooms, and usage should be monitored.
• Become familiar with social networks and how they work. Knowing what your kids are dealing with will help you understand the issue at hand. Ask your children to share their profile pages with you.
• Talk to your children about online issues and ask them to inform you immediately of anything upsetting or inappropriate. Tell them not to respond to any cyberbullying or threatening comments online. Education, awareness and establishing a trusting relationship are some of the best ways to prevent cyberbullying from having disastrous consequences.
• Have rules around internet usage and explain the reasons why to your child. Listen to their feedback, adapt and continue to reinforce the rules.
• Don’t be too harsh — like threatening to take away your child’s phone or computer if they come to you with a problem. Instead, make them feel welcome and heard, and show them you appreciate them bringing the matter to your attention. Taking drastic measures or becoming upset may lead them to become more secretive.
• Let others know if there’s something going on. Communicate with your child’s teachers so they’re aware of any issues and can look for signs of bullying during the school day.
• Take action. If you see any threats of physical violence or type of abuse, report it to law enforcement. Do not delete messages; copy or take pictures so you can share with authorities.

Tips for children to prevent cyberbullying

• Block and report anything upsetting or offensive on the specific site.
• Take a screenshot of anything you receive you think is abusive and keep it as a record.
• Never respond or retaliate to any online bullying; saying anything negative back could make the matter worse. Instead, go to an adult you trust to obtain advice on how to deal with the situation.
• Review privacy settings on social media — make sure yours are secure and strangers cannot see your profile. Your personal information needs to be protected at all times.
• Always log out of your accounts if you use a public computer or device. Leaving a session open could result in someone gaining access to your account.
• Do not share your password with anyone. Use long, complex passwords that are difficult to guess. Don’t use your birthday, street name, pets’ names, school or star sign as these can easily be uncovered. Make sure your password uses a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols.
• Treat others as you wish to be treated. Always remember anonymity doesn’t mean you can do anything you like. So, before posting something potentially hurtful, ask yourself if you risk causing any harm by doing it.

How to respond to cyberbullying

Victims can take proactive steps to end bullying. If you think someone you care about is being cyberbullied, you can help them respond effectively and get them the help they need:

1. Give this person a safe, supportive outlet to talk and explain what’s happening, how it started and who’s involved.
2. Parents and guardians can get online family protection tools with parental controls, letting them block specific websites, enforce online time limits and monitor online websites, as well as screen online conversations for certain words.
3. Keep a record of what’s happening, including screenshots of harmful posts and content. Bullying is typically a repeated behavior and these records are documented proof.
4. Block the cyberbully, but do not respond to or forward the cyberbullying communications.
5. Report incidents of cyberbullying: 
   • Online platforms: Most social media platforms and ISPs have clear policies and terms of service regarding cyberbullying.
   • Schools or organizations: Most schools, employers and organizations have clear policies against cyberbullying.
   • Police: If the person being bullied is receiving threats or there’s a potentially related crime, report it to the police.
6. Get professional support if needed, including a mental health professional or guidance counselor.
7. Contact the HR department at your employer. Many employers offer benefits that can help a victim and their family receive assistance, including counseling, paid time off and legal aid.

Cyberbullying can be a traumatic experience that can have serious implications for victims and their families — from trouble with school and social interactions to work and financial impacts. Taking steps to avoid instances of cyberbullying — and knowing how to react if it does occur — can help reduce long-term effects.