Kids can easily access internet messaging websites and apps like SnapChat and Facebook, allowing them to talk, share photos and play games with their friends. Unfortunately along with the good comes the bad of cyberbullying. These hurtful messages target the individual to make them feel bad, but also make the sender look bad, but also open the window to identity theft.
While messaging others, kids can so often think they are chatting with a “friend” when in reality it is a cybercriminal waiting to steal the kids personal identity.
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Prevent your kids from cyberbullying and identity theft with these helpful tips:
Read the comments. Cyberbullying often involves mean-spirited comments. Check out your kid’s page from time to time to see what you find.
Recognize the signs of a cyberbully and cyber criminal.
Could your kid be the bully? Look for signs of bullying behavior, such as creating mean images of another kid or clues of a cyber criminal asking personal information to your child. Keep in mind that you are a model for your children so take appropriate action as kids learn from adults’ gossip and other behavior of handling these situations.
Help stop cyberbullying.
Most kids don’t bully, and there’s no reason for anyone to put up with it. If your child sees cyberbullying happening to someone else, encourage him or her to try to stop it by telling the bully to stop and by not engaging or forwarding anything. Researchers say that bullying usually stops pretty quickly when peers intervene on behalf of the victim. One way to help stop bullying online is to report it to the site or network where you see it.
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What to do About a Cyberbully
Don’t react to the bully.
If your child is targeted by a cyberbully, keep a cool head. Remind your child that most people realize bullying is wrong. Tell your child not to respond in kind. Instead, encourage him or her to work with you to save the evidence and talk to you about it. If the bullying persists, share the record with school officials or local law enforcement.
If your child has been targeted by a cybercriminal report this to the law enforcement to take further investigative action.
Protect your child’s profile.
If your child finds a profile that was created or altered without his or her permission, contact the site to have it taken down. Always remind your child to never release their birthdate or home address, this will allow cybercriminals access to personal accounts.
Block or delete the bully.
If the bullying involves instant messaging or another online service that requires a “friend” or “buddy” list, delete the bully from the lists or block their user name or email address.
Ask your kids to let you know if an online message or image makes them feel threatened or hurt. If you fear for your child’s safety, contact the police.
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Original article published on www.consumer.ftc.gov.
