The days when a child's home was a refuge from playground or neighborhood bullies is over. The Internet is the new playground, and there are no off hours. The popularity of instant messaging, e-mail, web pages, and blogging means that your kids are potential targets — all day, every day. Even worse, a survey conducted by i-SAFE America found that 58 percent of children surveyed had not told their parents or any adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.

You, and your kids, can help stop cyberbullies. First, tell your children they do not have to accept any online activity that is meant to intimidate, threaten, tease or harm them or anyone else. Giving bullies attention is exactly what they want, so ignore them as much as possible.

Teach your kids that if they encounter a bully online, they should:

• Tell a trusted adult, and keep telling them until they take action.
• Never open, read or respond to messages from cyber bullies.
• Save messages from bullies. They may be needed to take action.
• Use software to block bullies if they encounter them through chat or IM. (For instance, Microsoft's Xbox LIVE has a "Friends List" for players, so they can choose to play only with friends or people they know.)

Make sure you or your children tell their school if the bullying is school related or involves another student. All schools have bullying solutions. If you or your children are threatened with harm, contact your local police.

More Resources:

For more information about cyberbullying, visit StopCyberbullying.org, where you can find examples of cyberbullying and suggestions for what to do if your child is a victim.