A topical issue at the moment is cyber bullying and unfortunately with the ever expanding range of social media services the problem is only going to get worse in the coming years.

With this in mind I have outlined below a few helpful tips on cyber bullying prevention. The advice given is geared towards parents with young adults.

• Young people are more inclined to talk to friends than family members about any form of bullying so invite friends over and create a relaxed discussion about the topic. Let them know its ok to talk about it. It’s important to educate them as to what cyber bullying looks like but not pressurise them into sharing an experience if they are not ready.

• If your son/daughter has experienced online bullying, encourage them to keep all the evidence (text messages, images, etc.) as this will be important if school or other parties have to get involved.

• If possible keep the computer/tablet in a public area in the home where usage can be monitored.Discourage your kids from sharing any private information, pictures, etc. and ask them to question if they really need to share these details online in the first place.

• Get started using social media. Create your own Facebook account and experience it for your self. Your child might even (reluctantly) accept a friend request. While this privilege should never be abused it is a good way to get a sense of what their interests are and how their circle of friends communicate.

 

For any parents with concerns around this topic I would recommend the website www.webwise.ie; it’s a great resource for information and helpful advice.

Hope this is of some help.

Take care

Karl