What To Do if You Suspect Your Child is Being Bullied
The New Paper
Republished with Permission
10 December 2022
Cyber wellness expert Chong Ee Jay, who worked with the school’s case management team, said that several measures could have helped the victim.
One is to encourage youth to report a bullying incident rather than be bystanders, said Mr Chong, who is from charity Focus on the Family Singapore.
Another is to arm peer support leaders with practical experience.
He said that while schools train peer support leaders to be the “eyes on the ground”, these students are unsure how to respond when they see someone being bullied in reality.
“They need more practice to know what to do in a real situation,” he said.
Mr Chong suggests parents look out for tell-tale signs of cyber bullying, such as:
- A sudden change in device use habits, for instance, more time spent on devices
- Deleting of social media accounts
- Asking about blocking others online
- Getting many new online friend requests
- Showing strong negative emotions after social media usage or after school
- Decreased self-esteem, often observed through verbal expressions like “life is meaningless”
- A change in daily routines and habits, for example, meals and sleep patterns
- Avoiding communication with family members and friends.
He added that denying children access to technology to avoid the bullies does not make the bullying go away.
“Teenagers may feel frustrated that they are the victims and yet are being denied privileges,” he said.