Digital Smarts - Changing Nature of Digital Life and Dealing with Bullies

Parents agree that rapidly changing technology is a reason to worry about the nature of online bullying, but parents are also aware that technology today makes things so different from anything they experienced growing up that it makes it tough to help kids deal with cyberbullying. It also means that many kids don’t tell a parent what is happening to them because they don’t think they will be understood. Schools have come to similar conclusions and many are backing off from their zero tolerance policy on bullying, recognizing that both the bully and the victim are at risk. Many bullies have misdiagnosed or undiagnosed mental health concerns or are imitating behaviors learned at home or school, and it is important to get at the cause to help the bully change their behavior, experts say. The issue can be even more challenging when parents of the bullying child are in denial or refuse seek help.