Umer Zahid
Worried about cyberbullying? Has your child ever been a victim of online bullying? It is quite frightening to think that your child might be a victim of cyberbullying. But the main question is what parents can do to keep their children safe from these miscreants. Which brings us to the topic of this article: how to keep your children safe from online bullies.
Also Read: How to try to keep your elderly safe from Covid-19
A lot of people are not aware of what cyberbullying or online bullying is and how it occurs.
Cyberbullying is a kind of bullying that takes place over the digital space. It can occur through text, email, social media, forums or online gaming where the content can be shared and viewed online. For example, if someone posts a video or photo on Facebook which is designed to publicly embarrass another person then it is cyberbullying.
How to Keep Your Children Safe from Online Bullies
Cyberbullying is more common than most people think. Many parents never get to hear about it because most kids do not tell their parents that they have been bullied online. They feel embarrassed and ashamed which is why they don’t talk about it. Nowadays, it is quite difficult to prevent cyberbullying because of the advancement in technologies. However, parents can reduce the chance of it happening to their child by taking some measures.
Set Some Rules for Technology Use
Parents should set some rules for technology use for their children. Parents should talk to their children and tell them that they have to follow these to keep them safe from online bullies and other technology-related risks. Following are some of the ways parents can reduce the chance of cyberbullying.
- Talk to your child frequently; ask them which sites they are using and what are they doing online.
- Tell them not to accept friend requests from everyone on social media.
- Only allow the computer and laptop access in the shared area of the house.
- Tell your child that they shouldn’t post anything which could embarrass others.
Using Parental Control Settings
In today’s world, a lot of apps and internet service providers offer parental control settings to keep children safe from harmful online content. Parents can use these parental control settings on their children’s device to limit the use of online platforms. It allows parents to:
- Limit social media and online gaming
- Block all types of inappropriate content
- Set screen times
- Manage the in-app purchases
Monitor your Child’s Online Gaming Activity
Most children’s now play some sort of online games on console, computer or mobile with their friends or sometimes with strangers. This increases the risk of your child being cyberbullied. So, to keep them safe from cyberbullying, you need to monitor their online gaming activity. See which games they’re playing and who they’re interacting with. Tell your children that they should not share any personal information with strangers.
Check your Children Social Media Activity
A lot of cyberbullying takes place on the social media platforms where people post a lot of stuff which can hurt someone’s feelings. Internet trolling is also a kind of cyberbullying because making fun of things which could embarrass another person comes under cyberbullying. So, keep a check on your children’s social media activity. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit etc. are some of the social media platforms where teenagers engage with different people all around the world.
Report Cyberbullying Incident
If your child is cyberbullied then you should report the matter to relevant authorities. Take a screenshot of the post that contains bullying and note the date and time when this incident happened. Give those screenshots to cybercrime authorities, they will deal with the matter accordingly.
Always talk your children about online bullying and how it can occur on the internet. Tell them to report any incident of cyberbullying when anyone is bullied. This kind of open communication with your children will help you keep them safe from online bullies.
There you have it guys! This is all about how to keep your children safe from online bullies. Let us know in the comments what do you think about this article.
