How to Protect Your Kids from
CYBERBULLYING
By Tanni Haas, Ph.D.
O
ne of parents’ greatest fears is that their kids
will become the victims of cyberbullying,
and for good reason: research shows that
almost half of all middle and high school students are
cyberbullied at some point. If that’s the case, what can
you do to protect your kids?
First, monitor your kids’ online behavior on a regular
basis and pay close attention to which sites they’re
on, who they interact with, and the nature of their
interactions. As Sarah Brown, an expert on children’s
use of technology, says “Being familiar with their online
world is the best way for you to notice if something
is wrong.” Research shows that parents who don’t
monitor their kids’ online behavior are more likely
to be unaware that their kids are being cyberbullied.
There are many ways to monitor what your kids are
doing online, including setting up their online accounts
together with them so that you know their usernames
and passwords, creating Google Alerts with your
kids’ names, installing monitoring software on their
devices, and requiring them to allow you to “friend” or
“follow” them online.
If you notice any interactions that could be cause for
alarm, speak to your kids right away. Since kids often
try to hide the fact that they’re cyberbullied, assure
them ahead of time that they can always come to you
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