Watch cyberbullying expert video featuring BSL sign language
To help you support your child on this issue we’ve created a hub of advice to prepare them for what they might encounter online and practical ways to tackle cyberbullying should it happen.
As soon as I lost Felix, I knew that I had to talk.
Social media was his life. His whole life revolved around it.
It was the way everyone communicated, and if you weren't on it you were isolated.
If her was invited to a party, somene would text saying ``You don't want to invite him. Everyone hatest him``.
And all he saw was negative. He Saw himself as stupid and ugly. It just ate way at him inside, I think but I just had no idea of the depth of his despair at all.
Duke of Cambridge -
It's one thing whene it happens in the playground and it's visible there, and parents and teachers and other children can see it online, you're the only one who sees it and it's so personal isn't?
It goes straight to your room
Chloe Hinde
Online now, with social media, you can't escape it
You're constantly with that bully.
Lucy Alexander
There's no escape from it and it's written down, so it is there to look back at time and time again, and if you are in a negative space that's all you can see and you look for the negativity. You Look for the cruel things
Chloe Hinde: I was in this group and if I was to say something that agreed with a comment someone else would make that would then be twistsed and if would go on and then people just turned against me because they were ike: ``Oh she said this one thing that one time so let's all hate her for that``. And then it kind of spiralled out of control from there, really. I stated to self-harm as a way to cope. To make me feel better and then I decided that I couldn't take this anymore and then I tried to end my life. it was song writing that helped me realise that my life was worth living . I started to write down how I was feeling. It was writing a suicide note that allowed me... It was like ``Oh my gosh, I'm getting to same relief from this that I am from self-harming``
Duke of cambridge
It is so brave of you both to speak so honestly about it I know it can't have been easy but I can't thank you enough. I only wish that neither of you had gone through what you've gone through.
Chloe Hinde
I just want to say thank you. That's so brave because I was in that place and it I had done that to my Mum. I sort of feel that Felix has given me a job to do and my job is to make sure that we try to help as many other people like him.
Duke of cambridge
I think it is worth reminding everyone what the human tradgedy of what we are talking about here isn't just about companies and about online stuff. It's actually real lives that get affected and the consequences, that's the big thing. The consequences of what happens if things are not kept in check in terms of what we say and what we do. And we are still responsible for our own actions online. This anonymity, as you were saying, is really, really dangerous.
Can I give you both a hug? You're very brave, honestly, so thank you.
WITH SUPPORT FROM
Start a conversation with your child to protect and equip them to tackle cyberbullying with our new cyberbullying conversation age guides.
important to support each other and
speak up when and if they come across
the situation online that's unfair
so how do we check in with our kids
teach them and remind them to be kind
online kind every profile picture
there's a real person real feelings is
really key so especially if your child
is just getting used to chatting online
it can take a while for them to work out
those small nuances of you know what is
and isn't appropriate right so they'll
meet guidance for you to kind of make
those those safer choices
um help them to realize it just because
you're behind the screen it doesn't mean
that your actions will have less of an
impact will be less hurtful right on on
the other hand and encourage them to
kind of pause before sharing I think a
lot of times what happens online is that
kind of knee-jerk reaction and just kind
of taking that beat thinking about you
know what they're gonna say mask
themselves is this something that I'd
say to someone face to face so again
this idea that you know their words
their actions are actually you know not
just going out into the ether they're
gonna impact someone so remind them that
when they post whether it's a joke or a
comment you others really can't see
through those smaller things whether
they're you know they're smiling or
they're laughing again those nuances so
get them to think about sort of
considering whether it's a good idea to
share something written in that way you
know is shared in that way or not it's
about taking that beat to think more
critically about not just what they're
saying but very very importantly how
they're saying it finally if they are
older and still quite savvy about what
they share it doesn't hurt to remind
them that you know that good old t-shirt
test right so if you wouldn't put it on
a t-shirt for everyone to see it's
probably not best to share it online
`{`Music`}`
try and talk about how it might make
someone feel to be left out of a group
kind of you know encouraging them to
empathize with people in another group
is really really important both online
and all right so encourage them to try
and be more inclusive when it comes to
things like who chatter or online gaming
make sure they know how to treat others
and critically get them to think of how
they'd like to be treated themselves I
think the idea of you know speaking to
your child about whether they're going
to be a bystander or an upstander is a
critical one whether it's online or off
so whether it's encouraging your child
to to send a supportive message to a
friend but struggling right to let them
know that they're not alone
I'm if your child sees something unkind
online encourage them not to make the
situation worse by you know
inadvertently provoking those involved
even further encourage your child to
celebrate what makes them and others
unique so they see differences as
something positive if your child is a
victim of cyber bullying make sure you
talk about it
don't stop who going online blog or
report the bully and show your support
there are other resources that you may find helpful
the BBC own an app is designed for kids
and is helping to make the internet a
kinder sacred place one message at a
time the app comes with a special
keyboard that offers guidance advice to
kids when they're chatting to their
friends in real-time as they type you
can also visit the internet matters
website which offers a range of advice
to get to grips with helping your child
be kind online how we behave online
shouldn't differ from how we behave
offline teaching our children about
kindness online will benefit them and
others around you