Parents must communicate with their children about the importance of privacy. They must be aware that they need to keep a mobile number safe and share it only with trusted friends. They need to understand that it’s not a good idea to share too much personal information online.
Children also need to be made aware that bullying, in whatever form, is never acceptable and the consequences are serious. Parents who have open communication with their children are far more likely to be told if they are being bullied. They need to encourage their children to come to them with problems of this nature.
Children also need to be told that they should not respond to the bully in any way. They should tell their parents instead.
Protecting children is not as simple as removing their digital devices. A parent’s first impulse on discovering a child is being bullied may be to take away a mobile phone. This can do more harm than good as the child will probably feel as though he or she is being punished. At the same time, this action isolates them even more from their friends.
