If we want to know what is going on in the cyberworld with our kids,

we need to get into the cyberworld!

A new frontier has developed and for many parents it is foreign to us.  This new frontier is the Cyberworld.  This world offers our kids some pretty amazing things that can help foster their growth as an individual and provide information that accelerates their educational learning opportunities.  Developed as an educator’s tool for sharing, the internet and cyberworld has quickly taken on a dark side.  To understand the risk factors associated with this dark side, parents must get into the cyberworld immediately. 

For some parents, navigating in the cyberworld is an everyday occurrence and something that comes naturally.  For a much larger population, the cyberworld can be intimidating and an environment parents hesitate to frequent.  Bottom line though, is that our kids are there, so we must be there too. 

The following will help parents get into the cyberworld with their kids. By no means are these tips universal and work for every situation.  We need to understand that the dark side of the internet and the actions in the cyberworld is a human behavior, and working with a human behavior, nothing is universal.  Each family is different and each family needs to take the time to discover what works for your situation and your family.

1.                  Centralize the computer –Put the online accessibility of the computer in a room that is frequented by parents constantly.  Make the computer screen be viewable.

2.                  Consistent Communication – Probably the most important strategy we can resource to as parents is simply establishing consistent communication with our kids who are going online.  Establish proactive communication with your kids that focuses on their online etiquette and behavior.  This channel of consistent communication will not only develop trust, but will also serve as a lifeline for our kids when they experience a threatening situation in the cyberworld. 

3.                  Online Experience and Knowledge – Parents must become tech savvy and experienced with online applications.  It is critical that parents spend time navigating through the internet on their own and learning the capabilities of the computer.  Sign up for classes which keep up with the currents trends and changing technology.  The more knowledge a parent can develop about the internet and risk factors associated with it, the better equipped parents will be to secure the safety of children while online.

4.                  Blogging, Chatrooms and Social Networking Sites – Along the same lines as Online Experience and Knowledge discussed in #3, parents need to develop an understanding of how Blogging, Chatrooms, and Social Networking sites operate.  Create a user identity and spend time in chatrooms which your kids might frequent.  What are the discussions like?  Are they appropriate? When MySpace and other social networking sites are used with responsibility, they are a tremendous tool for kids to connect with one another and stay in contact.  Unfortunately it is when these social networking sites are abused do they turn into a risk factor for our kids.  Spend some time in the social networking sites and discover the safety features each one has to offer.

5.                  Be There: Establish an Emergency Communication System – Assure rapid communication with your child while they are online.  Parents can not spend every minute of the day next to their child while online.  Software is available to help your kids report and document these situations.  CyberBully Alert allows parents to be notified by their child and parents will have a saved screen shot to use for documentation.

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