PARENTAL STRATEGIES IN RESPONDING TO CHILD CYBERBULLYING: INSIGHTS FROM MALAYSIAN PARENTS’ REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164065Keywords:
Child Cyberbullying, Digital Parenting, Parental StrategiesAbstract
As children spend more time on social media, online games, and messaging apps, cyberbullying has become a growing concern for Malaysia families. This study set out to examine how parents respond when their children experience cyberbullying. Adopting a qualitative interpretivist framework, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with eight Malay parents from Kedah, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, and Johor. Through thematic analysis, five key strategies came to light: maintaining open communication, keeping an eye on digital activities, offering guidance on online behaviour, practising authoritative parenting, and staying actively involved in children’s lives. Among these, communication stood out as the most frequently used approach. Through regular conversations, parents were able to pick up on shifts in their children’s emotions, create a space where kids felt comfortable opening up, offer reassurance, and advise on how to handle difficult situations. Monitoring, meanwhile, involved a mix of strategies; checking devices, setting time limits, keeping track of online interactions, and staying alert to any changes in behaviour. Parents also made a point of leading by example when it came to using technology responsibly, setting firm but fair boundaries, and reaching out to schools or professionals whenever extra support was needed. Taken together, the findings suggest that effective parenting in this area calls for a thoughtful blend of emotional warmth, attentive supervision, digital literacy education, and ongoing engagement, all of which help build children’s resilience and keep them safer online.
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