One of the best ways to prevent cyberbullying is to teach empathy skills. It can often be hard for children to take the mental steps necessary to understand that what they are saying is hurtful.
This recent news artical from Time Magazine mentions several great ways to teach empathy skills to your children. One of these is to "start by teaching children to understand their own behavior and feelings - it provides the basic tools for understanding the behavior and feelings of others."
It can be unproductive to simply say, "How would you feel if someone said that to you?" because kids many times aren't even aware of how they themselves are feeling. You need to start by recognizing and validating your child's feelings when you find out that they have sent a mean comment, text, or wall post. Help them realize that they were angry, sad, or hurt -- and that that's why they sent the message. Once they recognize their own feelings, it will be easier for them to have empathy and imagine what others are going through as well.
Article at Time.com
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