Cyberbullying or Cyber-harassment of an autistic child and how to deal with it?

Everyone has experienced some form of bullying when growing up. Today, technology has made it so much easier with the use of smartphones and other social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. 

If you have an autistic child, this can make them an even greater target for bullying. For example, if your child is verbal and understands what is being said about them the pain and suffering may be much greater than an autistic child that can’t communicate or understand what is being said about them online. Parents and guardians are caught in the bullying because they are the child’s avenue to address the cyberbullying. 

What is Cyberbullying bullying? 

Cyberbullying is the sending or posting of harmful texts or images using social media from an electronic device (i.e. smartphone).

What can a parent or guardian do?

1. Is it possible to confront the person making the post or conducting the cyberbullying? Then address this in person or with the school or other location where the bullying took place. This may not always be the best option if the alleged person doing the bullying is a minor (seek a third party like a school’s administration). 
2. If cyberbullying involves explicit photos, this could constitute a criminal offense and be elevated to the local authorities. Parents need to look at the severity and determine if they can address the bullying with the school or elevate to law enforcement if action is not taken in an appropriate manner to address the cyberbullying behavior. The environment that a school condones or creates will determine the likelihood of future bullying. In order to combat bullying, the overall environment must change for the better through the leadership and discipline of doing what’s right. This involves everyone (administrators, teachers, students, and parents). There needs to be a zero tolerance level. If someone reports it, everyone should take it seriously. Promote an environment free to report and address the bullying situations. The sooner behaviors are addressed the easier the environment can be provided where everyone feels safe.
3. Lastly, cyberbullying on any special needs child could be considered a violation of your child’s civil rights especially if the school district does not promptly address this type of behavior. Incidents can be reported to the office of civil rights or your state’s attorney general office. 

If you have any experience with cyberbullying or cyber-harassment of your child. Please share your success story with us and help combat bullying of autistic children and adults.