With so much time spent online and on cell phones, it’s no wonder bullies have taken to the Internet. In fact, you may be surprised how often it happens and how seldom it gets reported.
If you are a parent, your first instinct may be to take away your child’s phone or internet privileges. Yet many experts suggest that talking to your kids and actively monitoring their online and cell phone activities may be a better way to go. Here are a few suggestions to help protect your kids, so they do not become a cyberbully or a cyberbullying victim:
If you understand their technology and are supportive of the issues they face, they may be more inclined to talk to you about what is happening to them or around them. Instead of criticizing them directly, use current events to initiate conversations about privacy, never sending a text or photo they’ll regret sending later, and never posting gossip or hurtful messages or photos online.
Encourage your children to confide in you about what they see online and who they are communicating with. If they don’t feel comfortable telling you, encourage them to confide in another adult that they (and you) trust. Tell them that if they are a victim, they will not be punished and reassure them that being bullied is not their fault.
Explain to your child that it’s your job to keep them safe. Part of that is monitoring their cell phone and internet use. In a recent survey, when asked how they would feel if their parents were monitoring them, 62% of teens said they’d be accepting and 75% said they’d be unaffected.
With cell phone and tablet usage starting as early as the toddler years, it is more important than ever to establish clear rules about when your kids can start using mobile devices without you viewing exactly what they see. TeenSafe suggests starting to use an iPad or tablet at age 6-9, and a cell phone with monitoring at age 10-12.
Before you give your kids a cell phone of their own, have a collaborative conversation with them to hash out an agreement you’ll both follow. This might include boundaries such as no phones in the bedroom, no phones overnight in their rooms, phones stay in common areas, and no downloading apps without approval. You will also want to include clear consequences if they break the rules and establish passwords for their phone and apps that you know as well.
Kids with cell phones can be more independent, connect better with their peers, and can reach their parents (and their parents can reach them) any time.
To teens and adolescents, the internet is a way to socialize with their friends. They may also turn to technology when their social-emotional needs aren’t met. One way to help combat this is by disconnecting yourself. Give your kids your full attention and establish phone-free family time, so you can all reconnect more effectively.
If, despite everything you do, your child is a victim of a cyberbully, your child may become distressed, anxious, depressed, or worse. Make sure you have insurance coverage that can help you put security measures in place, provide your child with counselling, and even protect you if your child happens to be the bully.
This document is advisory in nature and is offered as a resource to be used together with your professional insurance advisors in maintaining a loss prevention program. It is an overview only, and is not intended as a substitute for consultation with your insurance broker, or for legal, engineering or other professional advice.
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