(a part of the Blog Focus Week on Bullying)
A few days ago, we spent a few minutes defining what cyberbullying is and why it’s so serious. Today we want to look at some action we can take. Like McGruff always says, “Take a Bite out of Crime!” The problem with most websites that address cyberbullying is that they do not come from any sort of biblical perspective. With many of my thoughts here, I’ve tried to point to some scripture so we’re looking at God’s principles and not just man’s wisdom. Here are some various perspectives and how to take action on cyberbullying:
A Victim
If you’ve been the victim of a cyberbully it’s a serious thing. Here’s some ideas:
- Get a trusted adult involved. Tell someone you know will take action and help. Your parents, a youth leader, a teacher, etc. (Proverbs 11:14)
- Block them! Block them, ignore them and/or cut them off completely. Most bullies are trying to get a reaction to boost their own esteem or they’re trying to get some feeling of power or entertainment. If you deny the bully this satisfaction, often you will cease to be a target. (Proverbs 26:4)
- Try to keep perspective. Most bullies are acting out of insecurity or immaturity. Try to rise above it. Should you be putting any stock at all in what a person like that has to say? Take it one step further and begin to pray for them. Pray God will change their heart and help them grow. (Matthew 5:44)
- Don’t get bitter or vengeful. It will only eat you up and ruin your life. Let God handle their discipline and you focus on serving the Lord with every minute you have.(Romans 12:19)
- Keep private stuff private – don’t put sensitive information out on the web for others to find.
Someone Who’s Participated
- God says lying about people is wrong. Writing untrue things about others is sin: even if it’s “just for fun.” (Exodus 20:16)
- The Bible says we should love one another and encourage each other toward love and good works.(Hebrews 10:24)
- The bible says being angry against your brother without cause is like murder. It also says that God won’t listen to you while you’re in sin against your brother (Matthew 5:21-24)
A Parent
- First, check out the advice to the victim because in a way you are a victim as well.
- Also, as hard as it is, try not to jump to conclusions. Understand that in many cases, people have been both victims AND bullies. In fact, in the realm of cyberbullies, students often switch back and forth(see my previous post). Make sure to get the whole story before making any judgements. Your child could very well have participated as a bully as well.(Proverbs 18:17)
- Though your heart may ache for your child, try not to waste the pain of suffering they are going through. Try to help them see what lessons they can learn to move forward.
- Be involved. Know what your kids are doing online, require them to give you their passwords and keep tabs on them. Their business is your business. (Proverbs 22:6)
- Google yourself and your kids. Find out what others are saying. Set up a goole alert (check out the link for my previous post on google tools) to know when info about you and your family is posted.
- Educate yourself a bit by going to places like stopcyberbullying.org and learn more about cyberbullying
For more on this issue, check out these posts:
Warning Signs of Bullying – Mike Calhoun
19 Years Later—A victim reflects – Bobby Francis
Bullied To Death at Age 13: A Father’s Response – Mike Calhoun
Beyond the Violence – John Powley
Cyberbullying Part 1 – Nathan Shoultz
Cyberbullying Part 2: Taking Action – Nathan Shoultz
Parents vs. Bullies – John Powley
7 Steps to take if Your Child is Being Bullied – Ray Deck II
