A blockbuster film release throws our group of friends into the mad world of online fandom, banter and cyberbullying. A fun first episode to teach your child the importance of respecting opinions, showing that banter can boil over into something far worse, and what hate speech can look like.
Give your kids the skills
- To understand the difference between online banter, cyberbullying and hate speech.
- To respect other people’s views, even when they differ from their own.
- To recognise the real dangers of online hate and the impact it can have on well-being and mental health.
- To report hate speech and talk to a trusted adult for support.
- Take positive action to support those affected by hate speech.
The wonderful and the worrisome
70%
of kids strongly agree that it is unacceptable to send nasty tweets to famous personalities.
Source: Ditch The Label, ‘The Annual Bullying Survey’, 2020
Over 1 in 5
8 to 17 year olds said someone had posted an image
or video to bully them.
Source: UK Safer Internet Centre, ‘Power of Image
Reporting’, 2017
14 and 15 year olds
are at the highest risk of cyberbullying.
Source: E-Safer Suffolk, ‘The Suffolk Cybersurvey’,
2016
Some simple ways to support your child
Kids can find it tough to talk about cyberbullying, so it’s important to look out for warning signs like stopping using their devices suddenly or becoming sad, withdrawn, or angry.
If you do find out your child is being cyberbullied, there are some simple things you can do to help.
- praise them for being brave and talking to you.
- stay calm, ask open questions and listen without judging.
- don’t confiscate their devices unless they ask you to, it’s likely to make. them angry and increase feelings of sadness and isolation.
If you and your child are having problems with cyberbullying and need help on how to deal with it go to Internet Matters: Deal with cyberbullying