Cyberbullying Education for Parents: A Guide for Clinicians

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a problem that is growing rapidly, current estimates indicate that at least 20-35% of children and adolescents experience cyberbullying. Clinicians need to be equipped with a framework to help parents in the role they play with their children and the cyberworld. This paper will guide professionals as they advise parents in navigating the world of cyberbullying. It is based on research on parenting, child development and cyberbullying. Parents today typically feel ill-equipped to respond to cyberbullying. They may be convinced that they were born a generation too late to relate to current online etiquette or to know what behaviors are appropriate. Many teens, as they try to separate themselves from authority figures, make it their mission to keep their online world-with all its positive and frightening attributes-"their own". While bullying has now taken on a new dimension, the behavior itself is ancient. Parents should not feel powerless; instead, they should feel confident about responding in ways that are familiar and in concert with their own well-established parenting values and style. As challenging as it is to guide parents today around electronic issues such as cyberbullying, three basic principles can help guide you in your conversations with the parents you are seeking to educate. Remind parents to rely upon the basic strategies they successfully employ on a day-to-day basis: NURTURE children, provide STRUCTURE that is developmentally sound and JOIN children in their world in appropriate ways. This article provides details on how to help parents successfully achieve these three goals.