Preventing cyberbullying at home
Parents and carers have a significant influence on the lives of children and young people. Because of this they can strengthen the preventative factors that make being cyberbullied and cyberbullying others less likely.
Their influence on preventative factors lies in two key areas:
- family life: parental warmth, positive relationships and communication
- the use of information and communication technology.
Parental warmth and positive relationships
At home, strong preventative factors against being cyberbullied or cyberbullying others are:
- parental and carer warmth – being kind, loving, caring, showing respect for children and young people and being responsive to their needs
- positive relationships
- good communication.
Positive family relationships can also help reduce the impacts of cyberbullying if children and young people are bullied.
The use of information and communication technology
The risk of cyberbullying (both being bullied and bullying others) increases when children and young people spend more time online and use digital technology more frequently. Additionally, children and young people are more likely to cyberbully others if they use computers in private spaces (such as their bedrooms), engage in risky online behaviour (such as sharing passwords with friends or giving personal information to strangers online), or play video games with high violence or maturity ratings.
The risks of cyberbullying increase with more time spent online.
Parents and carers can have open discussions about internet and technology use and co-create internet usage and behaviour rules with children and young people. This significantly reduces the risk of children being cyberbullied or cyberbullying others. The most effective family strategies around ICT are developed collaboratively with children and young people through regular, open discussions about screen time, expectations, digital citizenship, cyberbullying (what it is and how to seek help) and the risks (and protective factors) that exist online.
In contrast, when parents or carers impose restrictions on children and young people's online activities as their only preventative strategy, they may increase the risk of the child and young person engaging in cyberbullying or being a negative bystander
Risks increase with:
- more time spent online
- engagement in risky behaviour
- use of computers in a private space
- video games with high maturity rating.
Risks decrease with:
- open, regular discussions at home about ICT use, cyberbullying and online behaviour
- family rules for internet use
- age-appropriate understanding of what cyberbullying is and how to seek help.
More tips
The Raising Children Network and eSafety have helpful and practical advice for how to build a family ICT plan. They also offer tips for talking to children and young people about screen time, digital citizenship and creating a safe and healthy digital environment.
Information for children and young people
Sae-Koew, J., Gonsalkorale, K., & Cross, D. (2024). Protecting children and adolescents from cyberbullying: An evidence review of risk and protective factors and effective interventions. NSW Government. (p. 11, 37, 10)