What Is Cyber Bullying?

Cyber bullying is something that is growing more and more common each day. It is unfortunate, but thankfully there are endless ways to help your child not become a victim of it. It has gotten the name "cyber" by the path that it takes to become abusive to the child. This can occur as a result of the child using the internet or using a cell phone.

Think back to when you were a child and how vast the world operates now as opposed to when it did when you were little. Did you have internet and laptops at your disposal? Probably not, which is why it is so challenging for some parents to fully grasp the severity of how cyber bullying can take place. Say for example, your child has their own Facebook page account. Do you monitor it, or have you ever even looked at it? If you have not to either of those questions, then you are missing out on a huge part of your child's special life that could be painting an accurate picture of what they are like when you are not around. If your child is seventeen years old, they may not need you to be reading their accounts, but if your child is eleven then you really should take a peek at it once in while. To begin with, online predators can be reaching out to your children without them being knowledgeable enough to view it as such.

You should always start off by asking yourself if your child is old enough for a Facebook account or not. This can cause a small argument inside the home, and do be where that some kids will go off on their own and make their own accounts that you will never know of. Some kids can handle it at the age of ten, while others still are not sure of the responsibility it takes to have an account. If you do decide to permit your kids to have one, be certain they know about the rules. Do not allow them to cyber bully anyone, do not allow them to accept friend requests of people that they do not know and do not allow them to post pictures of themselves that may be considered inappropriate.

The same theory applies to kids getting their own cell phones. If your child is of that age, and they begin asking for one then take a few things into consideration before saying no off of the bat. For instance, does your child get good grades in school and are they generally fairly trustworthy? If they do both of those things then having a cell phone may not be a bad idea. They can actually get a hold of you perhaps when you need them to by having one. The trick is to always talk with your kids, be upfront about your demands and if they begin to suffer from any signs of cyber bullying then they are to advise you of such instantly. Cyber bullying can be other kids putting rude posts on their Facebook accounts, and also them sending inappropriate texts to other kids regarding them. This is very common and can be extremely hurtful to the children involved. Talk to your kids and if they are experiencing any of these symptoms, put a stop to their cyber abilities at once until it passes over.