Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is not going away, and great resources are Internet Solutions for Kids, Inc., Stop Cyberbullying, and Cyberbullying which include news, facts, and information about prevention and education for parents. The parent pages suggests that the best way to keep your teen from being a cyberbully is to be involved with their lives and monitor them online and offline.

In addition, these sites suggests parents talk to their kids about:

• online etiquette (not saying anything online you would not say out loud or in public);
• telling you if something bad happens online -with a guarantee that you will not pull their Internet privileges;
• know where your teen is going online and who they are chatting with; and
• the risks associated with instant messaging and blogging, which are associated with more cyberbullying.

Currently, some safety advocates suggest parents monitor their teen's blogs or personal profiles, but others feel this would be a violation of their privacy if you were not invited. Some families are very comfortable and know that their parents are visiting their social networking sites, and it is not an issue. I suggest that if your child has asked for permission to develop a page, it would be a great time to establish a rule that you have access, while discussing other things like not posting identifying information and limiting access to friends.

Finally, this site has a nice page about myths and facts, with a link to the Cyber Tipline for reporting any suspicious or unwanted sexual activity.

Photo Credit: > ange <

Labels: Bullying, Online/Internet Safety

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