The World-Wide Epidemic

The reason that bullying is more troublesome in today's society then 15 years ago is because of the advancements in technology. Back then, if you had a trouble with a bully, it was with a person that you had met face to face and you only dealt with it in school and in your neighborhood. Nowadays, you may casually meet someone in a chat room and end up with a constant barrage of problems, and the problems may come from halfway around the world.

I read a news article tonight about an international case of cyberbullying. The victim was a 14 year old girl in Wisconsin. The bully was a 17 year old boy from Australia. The two met online and became friends. The girl felt safe for many months. Never giving any thought to the problems this relationship may have. Then the girl received pizza at her home and messages from the boy referencing the pizza delivery. When her and her family became fearful of the relationship and blocked him from facebook, he began sending hateful messages to her through email and text messaging. With the help of the police in the US and Australia, they have been able to file charges of fraud, harrassment, and stalking against the 17 year old.

It's important that parents spend time to get to know the virtual world their kids live in just as much as they should spend time learning about their real world friends and issues. When online accounts are first established for tweens, parents should set up specific ground rules. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. KNOW YOUR KIDS ONLINE PASSWORDS: Make sure that your child is aware that you'll be able to access their account 24/7.
2. SET UP PARENTAL CONTROLS: Use security software that allows you to block inappropriate websites and block the use of the internet at times of day that you find appropriate to do so.
3. KEEP THE COMPUTER IN A UNIVERSAL ROOM: Keep the computer in a room that is accessed by everyone in the family. Kids are less likely to engage in improper behavior if they run the risk of being walked in on.
4. BE THEIR FRIEND: If they have a facebook, myspace, or twitter account, be sure that you're following it. Know who their friends are, what they are saying about your child, and what your child says to them in return.
5. SET UP CONSEQUENCES: It's fair to let them know in advance what punishment they can expect for breaking the rules you set forth for them. If they are caught acting aggressively toward someone online, let them know you won't stand for it. If they change their password without telling you, take away computer privileges for a set period of time.

Kids today have a mixed blessing when it comes to the digital age they live in. They have access to resources for education that most of us only dreamed of as a kid. They can keep in touch with grandparents in ways we thought was only possible on The Jetsons. They can entertain themselves for hours when it's raining outside and there's nothing on TV. While there are all these great things that technology brings to them, they also have to be mindful of predators, bullies, and computer hackers. Danger comes in many forms. We teach kids in preschool about "stranger danger." Perhaps tweens need to revisit those lessons before they gain access to online email and social networking accounts.

http://www.wisn.com/news/28025162/detail.html
Read the original news article about the Australian Teen Accused of Cyberbullying