The internet is a very helpful and widely used communication/information tool nowadays. Even kids have access to internet. They chat to
connect with friends and use social media to express themselves. With this,
they are exposed to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is on the rise and it can happen any time
of the day.
What is Cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is a
specific form of bullying that is committed via online. Here’s what creates
cyberbullying.
The
legal definition: “threats or other offensive behavior sent online to a
victim or sent or posted online about the victim for others to see.”
The
kid-speak definition: “sending mean or hurtful text messages, instant
messages, email, tweets, photos, and so on.”
Everyone who is
using the internet is actually vulnerable to cyberbullying, and can be a victim.
It can be us or our kids.
My son at 5 already
knows how to use smartphone and tablet. I let him use a tablet one in a while,
like every Saturday night. I always make sure that whenever he uses the tablet,
I am there or his dad to supervise him. Or if I cannot watch over him, I will
disconnect the tablet to the internet. Just to assure he will not open any
application that would expose him to online predators.
But I know this is
just the beginning because soon my son will be more expose to the use of
internet. I cannot prevent him from using the net for it will be a useful tool
for his studies. But I know I can protect him from cyberbullying and online
predators.
Here are ways to
protect our kids from cyberbullying.
Have an open
communication with our kids.
Open communication
with our kids is very important. Let them feel we are always there to listen
and we won’t judge them. It’s also important to earn their trust so they will
feel free to open up what and how they feel, and what they are going through.
Educate our kids.
We should educate
them about the risk of using internet and what Cyberbullying is. Set aside a
few minutes to talk about cyberbullying and how it’s happening. By explaining
them what constitutes Cyberbullying, we should also instill with them not to be
a cyberbully too.
Listen to our kids.
Always take time to
listen to our kids, especially when they are casually mentioning incidence of
cyberbullying, or any alarming internet activities.
Pay attention.
Pay attention with
our kids’ behavior or activities. Any changes may signal their distress. That
may include withdrawal from family and friends, or behavioral change like
always being angry or moody. If you have teens, these things can be normal but
they might be crying for help also. That’s why it’s important that we pay
attention to these signals for these may be signs that something not good is
going on.
Get involved.
Aside from paying
attention with your kids’ behavior and activities, get involved with them as
well. Sometimes communication is not enough because there might be instances
that they will not tell us. We should do also our own research like who are
their friends and what social activities they are doing. We should find out
what are the social media they are using, and follow them. For sure they will
object that but we can set that as a condition for them to use the internet.
Set limits and
conditions.
When we already know
what social media they are using, we must insists to let give their
passwords. Thus we can make occasional spot-check on their inbox and chats.
Also, restrict internet gadget usage to after dinner use and to use it when we are around. Not behind closed doors that is.
But if we want the
best way to monitor our kids’ online activities, we can install Innovative Web Content Filtering Software like Familoop Safeguard.
Familoop Safeguard is
a smart parental control software that we can use to protect and manage our
kids’ online life. This is a helpful tool to timely detect online threats like
communicating with strangers or cyberbullying.
Familoop Safeguard is launching on November 27, 2015 and meanwhile they offer parents to opt-in early and get an incredible 60% discount when Familoop Safeguard is launched. Great right?
As parents, we cannot always watch our kids but through the above ways, we can protect and prevent them from being a cyberbully victim.