1You tell your child that what has happened is horrible but that you can’t control what other people do online.
Showing compassion for our children’s painful experience can be very positive for them, and reinforce their courage in managing it.
In fact, according to Ontario law, cyberbullying is considered bullying. Like with other forms of violence, a response is necessary.
This could be an opportunity to transform this situation, for everybody involved to learn, and to support your child in feeling empowered.
2You tell your child that what they’re experiencing is bullying and that you are there for them.
Conveying our commitment to supporting their healthy development and well-being can be extremely valuable to our children.
This response clearly identifies the problem as bullying.
Supporting our children by showing them that they can seek the help of adults around them gives them a sense of safety and trust.
3You tell your child that it is bullying. You say that it's a really tough situation and that it's important to inform the school so they can take care of the situation.
Showing compassion for our children’s painful experience is an important part of our response, and reinforces their courage in managing it.
This response helps identify the problem.
Involving our children when deciding what steps to take (if any) would be important as it allows them to gain skills, feel empowered and build self confidence.
✓Explanation of the recommended response.
Key Concept: Various forms of bullying can affect students.
Recommended Response and Explanation: Although in all the responses provided above, the seriousness of the problem and the young person’s suffering is addressed, Response 2 is recommended by
COPA. We believe that we have an important role to play as parents, and yet it is important to avoid taking over resolving the situation for our child. Response 2 provides space for our child to have control over the action plan, while ensuring that we are there to believe in them and offer support.
Note: It is important to remember that schools are legally obliged to address all forms of bullying at school and cyberbullying, too.
Refer to
Module 7 for more info on our approach to problem-solving and other intervention strategies.
Go to the About This Course page to learn what each of the faces represents. Please read the scenario below and click on the response that seems most appropriate. Note that there is no perfect answer provided, and each response offers feedback and a learning opportunity.
Please see COPA’s recommended response.