Recommendations to avoid cyberbullying

Preventive Education at Home (Open Dialogue)

The most effective recommendation to avoid cyberbullying is active prevention at home, and this starts long before the child has his first device.

The basis is an open and constant dialogue about digital life, treated as naturally as talking about school life.

Parents should take a genuine interest in the apps they use, the games they play and who they interact with.

If technology is a taboo subject or only approached as a punishment ("I'm going to take away your cell phone"), the child will never confess to a problem.

This preventive education includes establishing clear rules for use (schedules, places where the cell phone is not to be used, such as the bedroom at night) and, fundamentally, educating in digital empathy.

The child must understand, through examples and conversations, that behind each profile there is a real person with feelings.

The "grandmother rule" should be insisted on: if you wouldn't say it to someone in person with your grandmother in front of you, don't write it on the internet.

Digital Identity and Privacy Management

To avoid being an easy victim, it is crucial to manage your digital identity. A key recommendation is not to share sensitive personal information.

This includes full name, home address, school name, phone number or photographs that reveal environmental details.

Attackers use this information to gain credibility in their impersonations or to carry the harassment into the physical world. The use of strong, private passwords is also vital.

Children should understand that passwords are like the key to their house: they are not shared with anyone, not even their "best friend".

Changing them periodically and not using the same one for all platforms is a fundamental security barrier against phishing, one of the most damaging forms of cyberbullying.

Develop Critical Thinking and Digital Assertiveness.

Avoiding cyberbullying also means not falling into the traps. Minors must be educated to develop critical thinking in the face of what they see online.

They must learn to distrust anonymous profiles, not to believe all the rumors they read and not to participate in hateful chains.

Likewise, they must develop digital assertiveness. This means learning to say "no" online.

If a friend asks you to share a photo that makes you uncomfortable, you should feel free to refuse.

If you are included in a WhatsApp group where someone is being insulted, you must know how to leave the group without feeling guilty.

This strength in setting digital boundaries is a key protection against both being victimized and becoming a complicit observer.

Summary

The best recommendation is preventive education at home through dialogue. Parents should talk naturally about digital life and educate in empathy, establishing clear rules of use.

It is vital to teach how to manage digital identity. This implies not sharing sensitive personal data (address, school) and using strong and secret passwords to avoid identity theft.

Critical thinking should be encouraged to be wary of rumors and anonymity. In addition, digital assertiveness should be developed: the ability to say "no" and to leave toxic groups.