WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Today, social media is in the palm of a child's hand.
Novant Health Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr. Xavier Fullerton says the ease of accessing apps like TikTok and Facebook changes how a child can be bullied.
"Cyberbullying is one of the most evident you hear about the most. Situations that happened in person you think it was an interaction that happened there and then it has now progressed to social media and now everyone publicly knows and so your bullying is almost like entertainment," said Dr. Fullerton.
What is Bullying?
According to StopBullying.gov, bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Oftentimes, the behavior is repeated and can have serious and long lasting effects on a individual.
Dr. Fullerton says when it comes to the age of who is being bullied—
"It is even across the board because it doesn't discriminate."
He adds there are five reasons behind why bullies choose to bully.
"They are jealous, they are judgmental, and want to look cool and fit in. A lot of times to avoid being bullied themselves, because they are lonely, and because hurt people hurt people."
Dr. Fullerton says parents should be on the look out for warning signs. It can look different than typical anxiety or depression.
They include—
"Decline in academic performance when they are exposed to consistent bullying and you'll see that decline also changes in behavior where they may be acting as themselves butted also just looking at the different activities, they are engaging in."
He adds being a listening ear can make all the difference.
Legislation efforts
In July, the Senate took social media platforms to task, voting in favor of bipartisan legislation to protect children and teens online.
According to AP News, the bill passed 91-3 and has been pushed by parents of children who died by suicide after online bullying or have otherwise been harmed by online content.