Parents being involved and knowledgeable of their children’s Internet use is a key deterrent in preventing or reducing cyberbullying.

“I think parents need to know ... it’s more devastating than [bullying] in grade school,” said Dr. Mary E. Doheny of the Family Institute at Northwestern University. “In cyberbullying, kids often pile on.”

Children could see comments about their appearance, their intelligence or criticizing their behavior through cyberbullying. Those comments then can be seen by a lot more people online and lead to even more embarrassment.