Bermuda’s Jehovah’s Witnesses are observing October as Bullying Prevention Month.

While remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic lowered reported instances of bullying, parents fear that, for some students, going back to school will mean the return of bullying.

“We have tried our best to prepare them for any situations that may come up,” said Victor Oceanar of efforts he and his wife Joy have made with their three children. “We are thankful that nothing serious has happened, but bullying is something that can happen at any time.”

It is clear that technology’s ever-greater presence in children’s lives has given bullying a new outlet. With just a click, cyberbullies can taunt, harass and threaten relentlessly, even reaching into the home via cell phone or computer. As a result, victims report feeling hopeless, isolated and even suicidal.

What can parents do to protect their kids? Taking an interest in their children’s online world can make a difference, say many authorities on the matter.

This interest does not necessarily require parents to become tech experts. A 2016 study published by the Cyberbullying Research Centre of 2,079 adolescents attending secondary school in Bermuda suggests that “strong parent relationships and positive experiences at school are generally more protective against cyberbullying than adults’ restrictions on adolescents’ media use”.

The website stopbullying.gov, a government website in the United States, also suggests that parents watch for subtle clues that something is wrong, such as their child becoming withdrawn, hiding their screen when others are nearby, or reacting emotionally to what’s happening on their device.

Talking with kids openly – and often – helps, too.

“The more you talk to your children about bullying, the more comfortable they will be telling you if they see or experience it,” Unicef says in its online tips for parents.

Beyond talking with, listening to, and observing their kids, parents shouldn’t be afraid to make and enforce rules for online activities, experts say.

For the Oceanars, that has meant trusting and respecting the privacy of their three children, while still ensuring they stay within the boundaries set by maintaining a constant discussion.

“We’ve found these three things helpful to warn our children about cyberbullying, and we advise others to do the same,” says Victor. “One, ignore the bully. Bullies want their targets to lose control; two, resist the urge to retaliate. In other words, don’t add fuel to the fire; three, be proactive by blocking the person cyberbullying you, by saving evidence, and by telling the cyberbully to stop.”

Victor and Joy cited the tips and reminders they considered together with their kids from free resources available on jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Search under related articles and videos. One of the Oceanar children especially recommended one of the site’s short animated videos, Beat a Bully Without Using Your Fists.

• Luke Branco is spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Bermuda