One of the most dangerous, insidious aspects of the Internet is the targeting of children by online sexual predators. These criminals employ a series of clever, manipulative tactics to reach out to children in an effort to get them to meet in person. Any parent with children who use the Internet should be aware of the following strategies employed by online predators.
Strategies of online predators

• Targeting children who are new to the Internet. Children who are unaware of the hidden dangers of the Internet make easy prey for online predators.
• Sending gifts to children in the mail. Many online predators will attempt to curry favor with children by sending expensive gifts to their home address. This is one of the primary reasons why parents must insist that children NEVER give out their personal information online.
• Targeting kids who are confused about their sexual identity. Predators can seem supportive and understanding to kids who need to talk about their sexual identity issues, when in reality, they are simply gathering information to use against them in the future.
• Focusing on kids with problems at home. Just as in the last point, online predators will gather at sites and chat rooms where kids come to talk about their problems at school or in the home. The predators know that these kids are most vulnerable and prone to their manipulative tactics.
• Online predators test the child’s comfort levels. Many online predators move slowly, befriending the young person before moving in for a meeting or sexual discussions online. Others, if they feel the child is open to it, will immediately begin explicit conversations with the child and use it to build a bond between them. Either way, these are highly manipulative individuals who know how to reach a child where they are most vulnerable.

Helping your kids avoid online predators.

The following tips will help parents keep their kids safe from online predators, while still giving them the freedom to use the Internet and learn valuable life skills:

• Talk to them about the dangers that exist online. Parents should learn everything they can about online predators and cyberbullying, then share that information in an open and honest dialogue with their children.
• Monitor their computer use. As a parent, you can’t be everywhere all the time, but you can limit the bulk of your child’s online time to periods when adults are present. Create “online family” time and use these moments to learn more about your kids and what they like to do.
• Instruct your kids to tell an adult if they feel threatened or uncomfortable while online. Many kids who encounter online predators never tell an adult because they are too embarrassed. Make sure they know that the best thing to do is tell their parents or teachers IMMEDIATELY when they encounter a situation that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Cyber bullying in the News | Video Update

Every day, for kids of all ages, the problem of cyberbullying grows. The more time kids spend online, and the more net-savvy they become, the greater the odds are that they will become the target of other children who seek to hurt or embarrass them online.

The following are ten simple tips for keeping your kids safe online, and out of the hands of cyberbullies at school and from around the world.

10 tips to help stop cyberbullying

1. Talk to the school. If the cyberbullying in question is coming from a classmate, contact school officials immediately to determine if they have a policy in place to deal with such behavior.
2. Tell your kids not to open or read emails that they suspect are from cyberbullies. In the case of the Internet and Cyberbullying, what you can’t read won’t hurt you. Teach kids to dump suspicious emails right in the trash.
3. Take advantage of the technology. Bullies who use chat rooms as a means for spreading hate can easily be blocked using most chat programs. Sit down and take the time to show your kids how they can filter out bad people from their conversations.
4. Tell children NEVER to agree to meet someone they meet online. The Internet is filled with individuals who have bad intentions. Even those people who may seem trustworthy in their online persona may turn out to be a cyberbully or even a predator. Teach kids the importance of staying safe online.
Give your child the ability to report cyber bullying incidents instantly with CyberBully Alert Software.
5. Supervise your kids’ online time. One of the most foolproof methods for stopping Cyberbullying is to monitor closely what your children do online. Tips for this method include removing computers with an Internet connection from the child’s bedroom and designating specific “family hours” for Internet use.
6. Tell your kids to never share their passwords or personal information with anyone. Friends and acquaintances of your children can wield a great deal of power if the know the passwords to their favorite sites and chat rooms. One of the fastest-growing types of cyberbullying is stealing someone’s identity and making embarrassing, damaging statements in that person’s name.
7. Monitor the use of your child’s photo online. Many cyberbullies will take your child’s photo and manipulate in ways that are damaging or embarrassing. Be very careful about the images your child presents online.
8. Watch out for the warning signs. Kids who are being cyberbullied may not want to talk about the problem with their parents. Common warning signs include depression, withdrawal from social situations, and spending more and more time online.
9. Be willing to contact the police. Parents who have gathered evidence about cyberbullying, and feel as if contacting the school has not stopped the problem should contact police – especially if the cyberbully has made threats to the health and well-being of the child.
10. Stick to your guns. The Internet is a big part of your child’s life. Getting them to agree to be safe and limit their unsupervised time online may be difficult. Stay firm and continue to oversee their computer time – even if the child lashes out and claims that you are invading their privacy.

Cyberbullying in the News | Video Update

MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA — In an effort to protect children and teenagers online, Vanden Corporation, based in California and dedicated to youth safety is proud to introduce CyberBully Alert a ground-breaking software designed to help the thousands of young people who every day are the victim of the growing crime of cyberbullying.

CyberBully Alert is a web-based solution that simplifies the notification and documentation of cyberbullying. It allows children to instantly send alerts to their parents regarding potentially harmful online conversations and interactions the moment the bullying occurs. With a click of the mouse, parents are notified and the unwanted behavior is stored for future use with school officials, other parents or law enforcement authorities.

Easy-to-use and compatible with all major computers and web-browsers, CyberBully Alert requires only a quick download to get started. Once the simple registration process is complete, the program seamlessly becomes a part of the browser’s tool bar. Parents then enter emails and phone numbers for the adults who will receive the alert. Then, with a live Internet connection, the child can send an instant alert via email and/or text message by clicking on the CyberBully Alert icon.

“We believe that this software is going to have a significant impact in the cyberbullying incidents that have been growing over the past few years” says CyberBully Alert President John Vandenburgh. “With more and more of our children spending time on the Internet and on social networking sites at a younger age, this communication is more important than ever. It is the missing link between kids and concerned parents.”

More about CyberBully Alert

For more information about CyberBully Alert visit www.cyberbullyalert.com.
1-866-403-9484 Media Inquiries

More about cyberbullying

• 90% of middle school students have had their feelings hurt online.
• 75% have visited a Web site bashing another student.
• 40% have had their password(s) stolen and changed by a bully who then locked them out of their own account or sent communications posing as them.
• Only 15% of parents polled knew what cyber-bullying was.

SOURCE: wiredsafety.org