Student Wellbeing
Annie McNaughton
St Raphael's School
eSmart
St Raphael's is an eSmart school
Cyber bullied: the warning signs to look out for in children and young people
One in five students is cyber bullied. Many kids who are cyber bullied don’t tell anyone about it, so it’s good to know some of the signs to look out for. If you see any of the red flags we’ve listed below, investigate the behaviour further, although some kids who do show these signs might have other issues that may need addressing.
Someone may be the target of cyber bullying if they:
• suddenly stop using their device(s)
• seem nervous or jumpy when using their device(s)
• are uneasy about going to school or outside in general
• appear to be angry, depressed, or frustrated after going online (including gaming)
• are oversleeping or not getting enough sleep • become unusually withdrawn from friends and family members
• show an increase or decrease in eating
• seem regularly depressed
• make statements about suicide or the emptiness of life
• lose interest in things that matter most to them
• steer clear of discussions about what they are doing online
• frequently call or text from school saying they’re unwell
• want to spend much more time with parents rather than peers
• become unusually secretive, particularly when it comes to being online.
Someone may be cyber bullying others if they:
• quickly switch screens or hide their device when you are close by
• use their device(s) at all hours of the night
• get unusually upset if they can’t use their device(s)
• laugh a lot while using their device(s) and won’t show you what is so funny
• avoid talking about what they are doing online
• are increasingly withdrawn or isolated from family
• seem to be using multiple online accounts or an account that is not their own
• are behaving badly or being disciplined repeatedly at school (or elsewhere)
• appear overly concerned about being part of a social group or having a certain status in their group
• show increasing coldness or cruelty toward their peers
• start to hang out with the ‘wrong’ crowd
• demonstrate violent tendencies