A new Montreal study published in JAMA Pediatrics last September 1, 2014, points out the potential huge benefit of family meals in fighting cyberbullying.
In a study conducted by McGill University, the Institute for Health and Social Policy Frank Elgar revealed that eating meals as a family unit on a regular basis can help children cope with cyberbullying more effectively and shield them from the mental impact of this issue.
As more adolescents gain access to technologies such as the Internet and mobile devices, many have become victims of cyberbullying. This type of bullying is characterized by harassing, spreading false information about, posting hurtful messages against, threatening, and stealing information and identity from someone.
According to the data provided by i-SAFE Foundation, more than 50% of teens have experienced bullying online while about the same percentage have bullied someone. Around 60% of the victims, meanwhile, do not prefer to share their experiences with their parents. Most of the victims later develop anxiety and depression, forcing them to think about or eventually commit suicide.
The study, which was participated by over 15,000 Wisconsin teens, involved interviewing the subjects about their experiences in bullying, whether online or offline. While bullying affects all the victims emotionally, physically, and emotionally, depression and anxiety are more prominent with children who are cyberbullied.
Further, many of those who experience cyberbullying and its impact the most are children who spend lesser meal times with the family.
The team believed that eating meals together provide an avenue for the family, especially for the children, to communicate and receive social support. Nevertheless, Professor Elgar makes it clear the study does not immediately reject other forms of support like shared breakfasts. It simply suggests that parental involvement can also be a huge deterrent against bullying online, particularly in social media like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.