Children’s Internet Safety 35 What are the signs my child might be experiencing cyberbullying? Your child might be reluctant to tell you that they are worried about cyberbullying. So it’s important to look out for the signs.These could include: • ignoring electronic devices suddenly or unexpectedly; • any changes in general behaviour such as becoming withdrawn, angry or lashing out; • nervous around their devices. Other signs include a reluctance to go to school or take part in usual social activities, unexplained stomach upsets and avoidance when talking about the internet. The difference between cyberbullying and abuse Some extreme forms of cyberbullying go beyond bullying. Child-on-child abuse,‘sextortion’ (also known as child sexual exploitation) and harassment have elements of bullying, but they can cause more harm.While there are no laws that prevent bullying, cyber or otherwise, there are laws to protect children from abuse or harassment and you can contact the police. Peer-on-peer abuse – peer-on-peer abuse is abusive behaviour that ranges from sexting to grooming between those under 18. Online hate – online hate is language or actions that target a characteristic of a person or group of people in the digital space. Child sexual coercion – Child sexual exploitation is sometimes called 'sextortion'. It refers to extorting sexual images from children. CYBERBULLYING cont’d Image by freepik.com continued
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==