As a mother I have it very clear: we must fight with all our strength to end cyberbullying, a very serious problem of harassment that undermines the psychological health of our children to the point that it even leads them to wish for death.
That is why I applaud the useful initiatives aimed at undermining it, because I know that it can happen to any child, seeing the alarming numbers of cases, only in our country. According to the UNICEF study 'Boys and girls of the digital divide in Spain' of 2018, at least two students in each class suffer from cyberbullying in Spain.
S2 Cybersecurity Group has developed a guide that gives us keys to see the symptoms of a cyberbully and explains how to act if it appears in our nearest circle.
Bullying in and out of classrooms
The term 'cyberbullying' refers to psychological harassment among children and adolescents through the Internet. It has its origin in the term 'bullying', an English word that designates bullying or bullying.
They say from S2 Group that "We are facing a case of cyberbullying when a child torments, threatens, harasses, humiliates or annoys another through the Internet, mobile phones, online game consoles or other telematic technologies and includes blackmail, harassment and insults."
Seeing the figures, it is something much more common than we think: one in five boys and one in seven girls between 12 and 16 are involved in some case of 'cyberbullying', according to the latest UNICEF report on the subject.
In Babies and more "The boy who could be king", the film of a modern-day King Arthur who with 12 years fights bullyingAnd that bullying, unfortunately, persecutes our children also outside the classroom. Before the Internet, bullying ended as soon as the school bell rang or we closed the door of our house. Today, this harassment can continue 24 hours a day, making the victims not able to face the situation.
That's where we adults should be, to support them and show them the way, if they need it. José Rosell, managing partner of S2 Grupo says that:
“Cyberbullying is a crime and can even be jailed. Insults and threats through social networks, smartphone or email, for example, are serious actions that have serious consequences and we must all be aware of this. ”
Therefore, it ensures that parents and social agents must and can contribute to eradicate it. "Because the consequences for the kids who suffer from it can be really harsh. For years, we are dedicated to raising families' awareness about the safe and proper use of new technologies and it draws much attention that many times they don't know what actions can be criminal. when they use them. "
How to detect cyberbullying?
Ideally, children come to ask their parents for help. But this is not always the case, as explained in S2, "Because they are ashamed of what is happening to them or do not feel able to tell."
Therefore, we must be alert, since according to surveys conducted to parents, we are worried about cyberbullying, but we do not know what our children do on the internet.
However, the cyber market causes a series of symptoms that we can detect in a child:
Changes in your habits
The use of devices to connect to the Internet has decreased considerably.
Lowering your school performance.
Avoid talking with family or their teachers.
Lack of class attendance.
Fear and opposition to leaving home.
Changes in your eating habits.
More frequent physical injuries than normal.
Loss of objects or damage to their possessions.
In Babies and more Ten key experts to combat and prevent bullyingMood
Increased shyness or decreased self-confidence. Problems in social relationships.
Feelings of anxiety, anger, fatigue or discouragement.
Aggressive reactions out of place.
Feelings of helplessness and guilt.
Unusual mood changes
Hunched shoulders, head down, lack of direct contact in the eyes.
Somatic changes
Rapid weight gain or loss resulting from changes in behavior before food.
Frequent diarrhea without being accompanied by vomiting or fevers.
Frequent dizziness with unusual symptoms.
Headache or stomach pain that does not affect sleep but prevents normal activities such as going to school.
What to do if a case of cyberbullying is detected?
In the event of cyberbullying, the recommendation of the S2 Group team for parents is:
Show our support for our son and calm his feelings of guilt.
Make screenshots of insults or threats.
Download all the videos and related files, if any, and make a record of the hours and days in which they were sent or disseminated.
It is important not to delete these documents or to alert what we are collecting to the cyberbully, so that it does not go ahead and delete the criminal material beforehand.
If it is not known who the stalker is (something common in social networks), it is advisable to go to an expert who collects the metadata from those files (where they were made, when, etc.).
In Babies and more Victims of bullying with four years: bullying at preschool In addition, at the same time, we must:
Offer psychological help to the child or adolescent.
Put the case in the knowledge of the school.
Talk to the parents of the bullies if the cyberbullying does not stop or even report to the Police or the Prosecutor's Office for Minors, if no progress is achieved.
If they need help, families can go to altruistic associations such as the ANAR Foundation (Assistance to Children and Adolescents at Risk), which explain how to act, both parents and children. Your toll-free telephone, attended by professionals, 900 20 20 10, is open 24 hours a day.
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