The Falls Township Police Department, in their interactions with communities through social media, talks of Cyberbullying and suggestions on how to address the issue.
Cyberbullying is becoming increasingly more common and can occur when bullies sending threatening or embarrassing messages to their victims via smart phones, social media and gaming devices. The steps to address cyberbullying according to the police department are:
- Notify the school.
- Encourage your child not to respond to cyberbullying.
- Keep screen shots of threatening messages, pictures, and texts. These can be used as evidence with the bully’s parents, school, or the police.
- If your child agrees, meeting with a therapist may help work through feelings.
- Block the bully. Most devices have settings that let you electronically block emails, messages, or texts from specific people.
- Limit access to technology. Keep the computer in a public place in the house and put limits on the use of cellphones and games.
- Consider monitoring your child’s social media use.
- Know what sites your child uses.
- Be part of your kids’ online world. Ask to “friend” or “follow” your child on social media sites.
Credit: Falls Twp Police FB