Do mobile phones enable bullying?

According to the Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study done in 2009, 1 in every ten children has experienced cyberbullying. However, cyberbullying is a completely different beast from what we may have grown up with, and many schools are trying to take steps to reduce the number of these cyberbullying cases in many different ways.

Some schools have banned phones during school hours to cut down on cyberbullying. One example of this strategy is Davidson High School’s phone ban for students in grades 7 through 10. After eight weeks of enacting the no-phone policy, Davidson High School saw a 90% decrease in phone-related behavioural issues.

There is no doubt that mobile phones can be a great source of security and contact for children and parents alike. But, without the proper knowledge of phone safety, these devices can also cause many issues — such as cyberbullying, unsuitable content, and phone theft — as well. Unfortunately, finding the balance between a security aide and a security risk seems challenging for many parents today.

What is cyberbullying?

Today there are more ways for your child to be bullied than when we were growing up. Bullying is not limited to physical touching and being called names on the playground today. Today, kids have access to technology that can lead to much more long-lasting and humiliating experiences than we may have experienced growing up. This new-class type of bullying is called cyberbullying.

Put simply, any form of bullying that uses technology to hurt someone else is classified as cyberbullying. The big danger with cyberbullying and the reason type of bullying can be so hurtful is that it is public and spreads quickly. This can lead to situations for your kids that are hard to escape and difficult for them to deal with. Unfortunately, cyberbullying is very common today, and it can be just as challenging for parents to navigate as children.

Studies have shown a correlation between having a cell phone and being involved with bullying as a bully or bully/victim. For example, one 2017 study of around 4.5K elementary school students found that three-quarters of third-graders who participated in cyberbullying carried cell phones. This is not to say that having a cell phone will make your child a bully (or a victim of bullying). Still, it is important to note that without knowing how to use the phone responsibly, your child may unknowingly engage in cyberbullying even if they do not mean to.

What might bullying with mobile phones look like?

Cyberbullying, such as mobile phone bullying, could include sending hurtful messages or emails, scary phone calls, posting embarrassing pictures or videos online, spreading rumours or lies about someone else, creating a fake profile, excluding others from groups online, cyber stalking, and much more.

As younger children continue to become increasingly active on social media platforms and the digital sphere in general, it can be incredibly challenging to prevent instances of cyberbullying. It may be that the individual who posted the video, commented, or otherwise interacted with the victim of cyberbullying did not mean to cause harm or sadness. For example, suppose a child posts a picture of themself online and one of their peers comments on the shirt they are wearing. This comment could have been said innocently, without malicious intent, but online, intent can be incredibly hard to convey. This is especially true for younger children who are not yet well-versed in online etiquette.

However, the truth remains that if someone feels attacked and hurt by something that someone else has done online that involves them, it can be an instance of cyberbullying.

Why is cyberbullying a growing concern?

Unlike the more traditional types of bullying — such as stolen lunch money, name-calling, shoving, and excluding people from activities — cyberbullying can create a much larger and more impactful effect on our lives. The main reason is that cyberbullying is done using technology, for example, the internet or a mobile device, to hurt another person. You may wonder how this can be more impactful than getting shoved in the hallway. Put simply, an online audience is much larger than a physical one, and comments, insults, and unflattering pictures or videos are much harder to get rid of or forget about than an altercation on the playground.

Because cyberbullying focuses on the harm online, many people will be able to see it, and it can be incredibly hard to take down or remove from the internet once it is out there. Along this same line, embarrassing or harmful content can be easily duplicated online by taking a screenshot. People can also often easily search for it long after the event occurs. In short, this means that it can be incredibly difficult to escape from and cause much more pain in the long run than traditional bullying can do.

Since mobile devices, social media, and the internet are such important parts of our daily lives, cyberbullying is becoming a growing concern. This is especially true for the younger generations who are growing up with advanced technology at their fingertips.

Mobile safety for children: Reduce the risk of cyberbullying

You want your child to be able to contact you in times of emergency. One of the best ways to do this is to give your child a mobile phone. But, you may be concerned about the many risks that come with your child having a mobile phone — such as phone theft, inappropriate use of social media, or bullying. So, what can you do in this situation?

Really the only thing that you can do is try to help educate your child on how to safely use their mobile device. This requires, first, that you are familiar with any technology you give your child. If you don’t know how it works, you will not be able to help them understand how to use the phone safely. Unfortunately, the truth is that cyberbullying is very common, and your child may experience this type of negative experience even if they are kind to everyone. However, you can do a few things to lessen the risk of cyberbullying for your child.

First, ensure they only give their phone number to trusted friends. You can also set the phone to block your child’s number anytime they make a call so that other people cannot see their number.

Another area where you can help reduce cyberbullying is by delaying your child’s access to social media. This means there is no way for them to see or participate in online conversations that parents aren’t able to oversee. You can also add restrictions to their social accounts so they are communicating with trusted people only.

What are other mobile phone safety concerns

When it comes to concerns about phones, cyberbullying is not the only one. You may have numerous concerns about giving your child a phone as a parent.

Even if you realize the potential safety benefits of your child being able to contact their trusted adults in a time of need, there is likely a laundry list of concerns staked out in the back of your mind when you think of your child walking around with a phone. As a parent, it can be difficult to properly weigh these concerns and decide whether or not to provide your child with a phone while they are still young.

But, at some point, you will have to make this decision. One thing that can help is knowing the most pressing concerns and which ones can be outweighed by the benefits or more easily addressed. Two of the most common concerns parents have when it comes to giving their children phones are unsuitable content and phone theft.

How can we stop cyberbullying without giving up the benefits of the internet?

Let’s be realistic. None of us want to give up the amazing benefits of having advanced phones and the internet directly at our fingertips. Easy access to the internet can bring so many benefits, but just like anything else, it can also bring risks — like cyberbullying. Mobile phones can make this risk even more pronounced as they give us easy access to social media, photos, and messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Snapchat.

One simple technique you can use to prevent cyberbullying is to delete certain apps from your phone or stay offline, but this is not a long-term solution. If we truly want to stop cyberbullying, we need to be mindful of what we say to others online. Emotions and intentions can be hard to convey online, and it is important to keep that in mind when commenting on someone else.

Final thoughts

In summary, mobile devices can bring a lot of safety concerns, from phone theft to cyberbullying and anything in between, but they can also bring several benefits. Deciding where these concerns and benefits compare will likely be an individual decision based on your family’s needs, but as tech companies and parents alike continue to bring awareness to cyberbullying, the issue can be more effectively addressed and even solved.

It is no surprise that solving the cyberbullying problem will be a difficult task to accomplish. Still, it can be solved with enough people working together to create a kinder and more accountable online society and more realistic consequences for these online bullies.