Is your mentee being cyber bullied? Did they tell you or are they showing signs of distress, perhaps shuddering when they see your smartphone?
You can help by listening and providing advice, but do not get involved directly by confronting the bully!
Steps to help stop bullying
Here are some steps you can help your mentee deal with cyber bullying.
- Tell them to ignore the bully. They will go away on their own if they don’t get the reaction they were looking for.
- Encourage your mentee (if appropriate) to confront the bully calmly and respectfully.
- Get the parents of you mentee to contact the parents of the bully and discuss the situation in a non-judgmental way.
- If it continues, get the parents to contact the school and if necessary the police.
Steps to Prevent Cyber Bullying
Here are some steps your mentee can take to help prevent cyber bullying
Do not…
- Give out your password
- Post messages when angry
- Become Facebook friends with people you don’t know personally
- Text or post anything you wouldn’t want your parents to see
- Participate in spreading mean things about others
Peer Project Training Help
The Peer Project runs training programs on cyber bullying, so contact your case coordinator for more information.
As well, if you need immediate support dealing with an evolving but immediate problem, your caseworker is available from 9 am to 5 pm. And 24/7 support is available using the Peer Project’s Emergency Protocol contact list.
More Resources
Also check out these cyber-bullying resources:
