Schools Cyber-Bullying

Do you talk to your kids about cyber safety? This is an issue that many parents overlook as it was not a topic of conversation when they were growing up. Nonetheless it is a topic that we encourage you to discuss with your kids.

Cyberbullying

Schools, parents, and teachers are being faced with the issue of cyberbullying for the first time. Bullying has always been a problem, but the onslaught of virtual communications such as text messages, emails and instant messages has given way to a whole new form of bullying. There have been numerous stories in the news recently of children falling victim to cyberbullying. The state of New Hampshire is currently in the process of passing a bill which will give schools the authority to address cyberbullying if it has an impact on the educational environment. If the bill passes, many states will likely follow New Hampshire's lead.

• Monitor your children's online activity. Know which sites they are visiting and who they are talking to.

• In many cases parents are unaware that their child is being picked on online, talking to your kids about cyberbullying and encourage them to talk to you if they feel they are falling victim to a cyberbully.

• Be aware that children and adults may have more than one profile on social sites such as facebook.com or myspace.com. As a condition for allowing them online access, ask them to share their online profiles with you.

• If you suspect that your child is hiding something from you, ask them to show you the most recent pictures they posted from their phone to their Facebook profile after they attend special events like a school dance, concert or party. Most likely they will post to their most active profile.

• Establish limits for online use. If your child knows you're around or if they can only use the internet for a limited amount of time each day they will be less likely to put themselves in situations that make them vulnerable to cyberbullying.

• Review your child's browsing history or set up parental controls that only allow your children to visit approved sites.

While computers have become a main staple in the curriculum of schools in the United States, a study recently released by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and supported by Microsoft Corp., revealed that less than 1/4 of teachers in the U.S. have spent more than six hours teaching cyber ethics, safety, or security in the last year.

As a parent you cannot depend upon your child's school to teach them about cyber safety. If internet safety and security is part of the curriculum, sit down with your kids and ask them to tell you what they have learned. If you feel that the school has missed some important points, this is your opportunity to bridge the gap.

As a parent you are raising a new technology driven generation of computer savvy Americans and it is up to us to make sure that they have the knowledge needed to remain safe while using these skills. In each of these cases the most effective defense is having an open dialog with your kids. This will make them more likely to come to you if a problem should arise.

What do you do to protect your kids online?

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