Why do people do things online they wouldn’t do other places? I think that there are some misguided beliefs that leave people feeling more comfortable to bully online much more viciously then they would anywhere else.
1)"You can't See Me, I Can’t See You". This suggest to me that the person doing the bullying believes that there is a level of anonimity when online. Help them to understand that the reality is that you are not anonymous when on the internet.
2) Can't see the other person's face-so bully develops no empathy for the victim. If I can't see that my words are hurting you, they must not be. Make sure that they understand that the hurt is still occuring whether they can see it or not.
3) "What happens online is just a game". Help your child to understand that what happens online IS real. Although there are games on the internet, not everything online can be considered a game.
4) “Everybody does it”. Help them to understand that not everyone does it and that there are consequences for these types of behavior.
Talking to your children. Disputing these misguided ideas may save your child some headaches down the road.
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