Effective prevention methods

ADULTS MUST BREAK OUT OF THEIR "COMFORT ZONE"

According to research by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), one in five children and adolescents are bullied online, and three-quarters of them don't know where to seek help. Ms. Nguyen Tu Anh, a specialist in child and adolescent psychology and founder of the Happy Parenting project, noted that this is a fairly high and worrying rate, not to mention cases where individuals are bullied but are unaware and therefore don't report it.

Parents need to pay attention to detect when their children show signs of abnormal psychological or mental behavior.

"During childhood and adolescence, being a victim or perpetrator of online bullying carries the risk of serious and long-lasting psychological problems. For example, children may experience depression, anxiety, disruptive behaviors in real life, be unable to maintain healthy social relationships, and suffer from impaired academic performance and the formation and understanding of themselves in a proper way," said Ms. Tu Anh.

To protect children from harm

Regarding online bullying, Ms. Tu Anh believes that everyone needs to be educated about the 2019 Cybersecurity Law, along with civilized and positive behaviors and self-protection skills on social media. "Because children cannot learn these things on their own without education , guidance, and practice, both from family and school, through various forms, such as life skills," the female master's degree holder explained.

Ms. Tu Anh also noted that what happens online is quite subtle, and if children don't share it, adults are unlikely to know. Therefore, this parent of two young children advises adults to step out of their "comfort zone" to stay updated on their children's interests, and to understand that prohibiting social media use often only leads to negative consequences in children's behavior, such as sneaking around, hiding things, or lying.

"Parents and teachers need to pay attention to any changes in children's behavior, daily routines, and conduct to recognize abnormalities and provide support when necessary. Simultaneously, they should monitor children's internet use appropriately, such as setting up features to block harmful content and websites, and teaching children to distinguish between useful and useless, even nonsensical, content. Then, children will proactively share and seek our help when they encounter difficulties, regardless of the environment," concluded Master Tú Anh.

Adding "Numbered Vaccines" and "Virtual Fences"

According to Dr. Nguyen Vinh Quang, a specialist in educational management and Director of the Mr.Q International Career Education Organization, there are five important factors contributing to the increase in online bullying: the prevalence of technology and social media; anonymity and virtual space; loss of control over information once content has been posted; lack of awareness and education; and psychological and social issues.

"Online bullying is a major challenge not only in Vietnam but also in many countries like the UK and the US," Mr. Quang said.

According to Dr. Quang, online bullying can take several common forms, such as sharing malicious or even fabricated information using technology; harassment via text messages; insults on social media; bullying through online games, email, blogs, etc.

To combat this problem, Dr. Quang recommends that children receive a "digital vaccine" through regular educational programs at school and at home about online violence and appropriate protective and response measures. At the same time, to truly build "antibodies," children also need to learn how to proactively use social media thoughtfully and from multiple perspectives, instead of just posting photos or comments unconsciously, which can lead to unnecessary conflicts.

Preventing cyberbullying does not mean giving up internet access.

Many victims of cyberbullying have become so frightened that they have locked all their social media accounts, or even avoided using the internet for a period of time. According to UNICEF, accessing the internet has many benefits. However, like many things in life, it comes with risks that you need to be aware of and protect yourself from.

"When faced with cyberbullying, you might want to delete certain apps or go offline for a while to give yourself time to recover. But turning off the internet isn't a long-term solution. You haven't done anything wrong, so why should you suffer? Turning off the internet can even send the wrong signal to bullies, encouraging their unacceptable behavior. We all want cyberbullying to end, which is one of the reasons why reporting cyberbullying is so important. We need to think about what we share or say that might hurt others. We need to treat each other well online and in real life. This depends on all of us," UNICEF advises.

"Virtual barriers," or a safe online environment for children, also need to be built, Mr. Quang observed. Specifically, cybersecurity teams and the national firewall system can develop tools to control behavior and block sensitive keywords to minimize harmful content. Regulatory agencies also need to establish a clear policy framework and regulations on how to handle online bullying, while encouraging teachers and school staff to intervene promptly when relevant information is received.

"In dealing with bullying, it's crucial to be quick and timely. This requires close communication channels, especially between the three parties—family, school, and student—an element that is still lacking in many places. When children experience online bullying, it's understandable if parents and teachers aren't aware of it, but we must question ourselves if the child doesn't seek our help," Dr. Quang stated.

Cyberbullying is becoming increasingly common among students.

Regarding the view held by some parents to ban children from using phones and social media, Dr. Nguyen Vinh Quang assesses that this is not an effective decision. According to him, if parents remove technology from their children's lives, it's no different than removing their children from opportunities for future development. "Let children access technology under supervision, even creating conditions for them to actively monitor themselves instead of imposing rules on them," Dr. Quang suggested.

DO N'T WAIT FOR CONSEQUENCES TO OCCUR BEFORE TAKEN ACTION TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.

According to psychologist Vuong Nguyen Toan Thien (Children's Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City), adults should not wait until consequences occur before addressing them, because by then, regardless of the severity, their children will have already been harmed. Parents also cannot control or completely filter the internet environment to ensure absolute safety for their children. Therefore, educational programs are needed to teach children how to protect themselves when using the internet.

"Parents should guide their children on how to select information they receive, moderate the sharing of personal information, and how to respond to bullying… so that they can use the internet safely and effectively. To do that, parents need to spend time interacting, talking, and sharing with their children. When building a good family relationship, children can easily share the problems they are facing so that parents can provide timely help when needed," Mr. Thien said.

At the same time, according to a psychologist at the City Children's Hospital, when parents notice any unusual mental symptoms in their children, they should take them to a hospital, clinic, or psychological center for intervention.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/hoc-sinh-suy-sup-vi-bi-bat-nat-tren-mang-cach-ngan-chan-hieu-qua-18523061201004687.htm