Protecting our children comes naturally as a parent, what doesn’t come as naturally is protecting them online. Knowing about potential risks and how to deal with them is the best protection to managing online risks and consequences.
- Cyberbullying
- Inappropriate, offensive or illegal content
- Sexting
- Unwanted contact
- Online pornography
- Trolling
Bullying is a timeless issue that continues to morph into new forms. Today, we talk about it; communities continue to come together to overcome the silence and humiliation.
At present cyberbullying is a hot topic and it is one that parents often feel helpless at managing, as they have never experienced it in this form. As a parent of a boarder your presence in their online life is important. It is finding a way to be there in a way that makes them comfortable that will enable you to equip them with tools and advice for them to test their own problem solving skills and build resilience.
A fantastic resource to help you navigate these choppy waters is the Australian Government’s esafety website, which provides free resources, articles, conversation starters and other information etc.
Our top 5 takeaways from their cyberbullying page include:
1. Listening without judgment – building trust by working together to fix the situation
2. Reminding them you are always there to help, no matter what
3. Setting expectations – letting them know your policy on cyberbullying including if they are perpetrator or victim
4. Building resilience – both tactically and strategically
5. Take action immediately – the internet acts fast
Also check out the ABC who are showing ‘Bullied’ with Ian Thorpe (2 Episodes) and also ‘Cyberhate’ with Tara Moss (6 Episodes). Both are available on ABC iview.
Sexting is another major concern for parents, especially when phones are not physically accessible for monitoring. It is one that we will explore in the April newsletter.
Do you have any insights into dealing with cyberbullying? Please feel free to share these in our comments.