2025-2026 School Year Enrollment Now Open. Click Here
2025-2026 School Year Enrollment Now Open. Click Here
We live in a digital world. Everything from entertainment to shopping to employment has begun to shift to the online space. As we continue to embrace technology, we continue to reap the benefits it can offer. However, we must also be aware of the negative sides of technology — and one of the most prevalent negatives is cyberbullying.
Unfortunately, cyberbullying is an issue that a majority of teens have to deal with — 59% of teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying, and 90% of teens believe that cyberbullying is a problem for people their age. Given the prevalence of online bullying, it’s important for parents and guardians to understand what it is, what effects it can have, and how they can best respond.
Cyberbullying is bullying that occurs in the digital space. Devices such as cell phones, computers, and tablets can all be channels for cyberbullying. Specifically, cyberbullying can take place through texting, online forums, social media, gaming, email, and any other avenue for digital communication.
This form of bullying can be more difficult for parents and teachers to recognize. Because it does not occur physically but online, it can be harder to notice. Yet cyberbullying can also be more persistent than physical bullying because students are digitally connected at all hours of the day, rather than simply being around each other during school hours.
Diving into the specifics of cyberbullying can be challenging, but it’s important to understand exactly what cyberbullying can entail if you want to combat it. While cyberbullying can take a lot of different forms, the most common include:
There are several signs of cyberbullying that parents and guardians should be aware of and keep an eye out for. Kids may not admit to being cyberbullied, but there are a few signs that could clue you in that cyberbullying might be occurring:
If you see any of these signs in your child’s behavior, you should immediately take action.
No one wants their students to endure cyberbullying, so it’s important to teach your kids about what they can do to help prevent cyberbullying from occurring. The following tips are a great place to start in cyberbullying prevention:
If you have noticed some of the signs of cyberbullying and confirmed that your child is being cyberbullied, there are steps you can take to help your child through this difficult time. Some of these steps include:
You might also take other steps like managing your child’s time online or seeking professional counseling or therapy for your child.
Traditional schools and cyber schools alike are finding new ways to prevent bullying of all kinds, from physical bullying to cyberbullying. The online learning opportunities afforded by cyber schools such as Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) can give students an escape from the traditional school environment, where bullying may still be present.
With cyber schooling, students have a greater ability to choose their social groups, which will likely cut down on both physical and cyberbullying. Similarly, parents of cyber schooling students are able to more closely monitor their kids’ behavior and interactions — if cyberbullying does occur, parents can step in much more quickly.
CCA specifically has many procedures in place to help prevent cyberbullying. We train families and students to use Pennsylvania’s anonymous Safe2SayPA reporting system for voicing their bullying concerns. This information is relayed to CCA administrators, who can then jump into action. We also train our administrators, teachers, and counselors to recognize the red flags of bullying and intervene with the right resources.
To support families who are impacted by cases of cyberbullying, we provide a certified case manager to immediately reach out to the student’s family and connect them with professionals who can provide assistance or other community resources. CCA acts swiftly upon hearing anything regarding cyberbullying. Similarly, we teach our students from a young age that bullying of any form is unacceptable and give them tools for help if they witness or experience cyberbullying.
Learn more about how CCA works to prevent cyberbullying and keep your student safe by contacting us today.
2025-2026 School Year Enrollment Now Open. Click Here