According to a new study, sticks and stones aren’t the only things that hurt after all. Words hurt just as badly.  The study found that cyberbullying was just as likely to negatively affect children as physical bullying was.

Kids who were cyberbullied were just as likely to skip school or contemplate suicide as kids who were bullied in person. About a quarter of the kids surveyed consistently reacted the same way, whether the bullying was physical or on the screen.

Cyberbullying is not something to be taken lightly just because it’s only words on a screen. It is just as serious as other forms of bullying.  Skipping school could have negative consequences on your child’s future, and contemplating suicide could lead to your child not having a future.

Watch what your kids are doing online. Whether they’re bullying or being bullied, the parents need to know. You can help prevent cyberbullying by teaching your children to respect others, online and off. Remind them that just because they don’t see how the mean things they say affect others doesn’t mean that those effects aren’t real. Some signs that your child might be a victim of cyberbullying include mood changes, sadness, poor school performance, social withdrawal, and lack of appetite.

Consider using an internet filter for your children to help catch cyberbullying. In addition, Net Nanny Social is coming. It will let you monitor your child’s accounts on several popular social media sites, so you can see the warning signs before it’s too late.

I work for ContentWatch and all opinions are my own.