Four Steps to Protecting Your Kids from Cyberbullying

Four Steps to Protecting Your Kids from Cyberbullying |


1. Accept your Child's Online Life

As Danah Boyd explains in his book It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens Young people are socializing more and more online because parents today limit their ability to socialize offline much more than they do. the past. Teens always want to hang out with their friends, but because they are often not allowed to go out to the mall or to the movies, their socialization has shifted online.


Considering the importance of technology to teens, well-meaning suggestions like "Nobody cares what you had for breakfast" or "Just delete your account" are likely to get an exaggerated look. 


If a child has been the victim of cyberbullying, their access to technology - even though it is a well-intentioned precautionary measure - can also victimize them reduce their likelihood of telling adults about future incidents.


2. Define Rules for Online Interaction

Accepting technology does not mean ignoring it. Out of one in eight parents don't set any rules for what their kids do online.


Yet setting rules about when kids can go online, and what they can and can't do, is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent cyberbullying, Research shows. 


Children are also less likely to cyberbully others when they believe their parents are likely to punish them for such behavior.


The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically recommends limits on screen time for young people.


While their recommendations cover a range of issues, other research indicates that youth's risk of cyberbullying increases the more time they spend online.


3. Teach Respect and Responsibility Online

Parents should teach their children how to behave online, just as they teach them how to use good manners and be respectful offline. On the Internet, this is called "netiquette", and reduces the involvement of young people in cyberbullying.


Performing responsibly online is a talent that needs to be taught. A popular analogy compares society's approaches to introduce young persons to two powerful machines: vehicles and the Internet.


Before teens are allowed to drive, they have to go through a series of graduated steps that include a lot of learning and practice under close supervision. And yet, when kids start to use technology, we often tell them to “be smart” and hope for the best.


True, it can be difficult for many parents to keep up with tech trends - Popular apps and social media sites come and go quickly. Rather than being seen as a barrier, parents can view these innovations as an opportunity for their children to teach them about their favorite apps and websites.


This allows parents to learn what their kids are up to while providing a non-threatening opportunity to make sure their kids know all of their Instagram or Snapchat followers and don't publicly share personal details.


4. Monitor Online Activity

It is important for parents to monitor their children's online activities just as they monitor their offline activities.


Parents have a habit of asking their children where they are going, who they will be with, and what time they will be home. Less than asking these types of questions online: What sites do you visit? Who are you talking to? What are you doing online?


Research has shown that this type of parental mediation greatly reduces the likelihood of children being victims of cyberbullying. Using built-in parental controls and security features can also help.


As technology becomes more mobile, best practices, such as keeping computers in high traffic areas of the home, become more difficult. As a result, active parental monitoring is becoming more and more important.


Parents' efforts should be tailored to the age and maturity of their children. And, despite a parent's best intentions, their child can still be a victim of cyberbullying.


In the conversation this happens, parents should listen to their children, take their concerns seriously, and seek help from others when needed. Install Protegent360 Protect your PC With  Free Antivirus software

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