Cyberbullying; parents can help their children avoid being a victim of it. Every parent want to do everything they can to prevent their children from being hurt while at school or away from home. yet cyber bullying is something that can harm your children even while in the safety of your home.
There are several ways to stop bullying that can help you keep your children safe and healthy while using social media and electronic communication devices.
What is Cyber Bullying?
Cyber bullying can take place online or via text message. The people who may bully your child could be classmates, or they may be random strangers your child meets online. Unlike bullying that happens on the school playground, cyber bullying can happen at any time of day or night, which means that kids who become victims often find no reprieve from the attacks. The messages or posts sent to your child may be public and embarrassing, and are often difficult to delete from the Internet. Cyber bullying prevention will take some work on your part, but you can prevent your child from becoming a victim.
Cyber Bullying, Parents Can Help Their Children Avoid
Set Boundaries for Online Usage
Talk with your kids about which websites are acceptable to use every day. While your children may feel that they are ready for social networking sites like Facebook or Instagram, you will need to talk about appropriate usage for each of these sites. This includes limiting the amount of personal information they reveal and getting approval before posting any pictures to these sites. Setting boundaries will help them learn how to protect themselves on the Internet. Remind your child that once something is posted online, it becomes permanent, even if it is deleted later.
Monitor Your Child’s Internet Usage
While you don’t want to “spy” on your child, you should actively monitor which sites are being used and what is being posted. You can ask for permission to be your child’s friend or follower on any social media site being used, or you may offer to have another trusted adult do this for you. Some children are more comfortable “friending” an aunt or uncle, and this is OK, as long as a responsible adult can see your child’s online activity.
Talk About Bullying
Have a conversation with your child about what cyber bullying might entail. While some bullies post harassing messages, others might publish embarrassing pictures. By talking with your child, you can help him spot the signs of bullying before a situation gets out of hand. Be sure to talk about how to respond if your child sees that someone else is being bullied. Not every child will have parents as involved as you are. When your child feels comfortable coming to you when there is a problem, you have more of a chance to actively work on cyber bullying prevention.
Check out our bully awareness and prevention resources CLICK HERE
Originally posted 2013-10-28 05:29:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
