Cyber Safety Tips for Kids

Why is it important to be knowledgeable about Cyber Safety?

The world is changing. We are living in a digital world. You can communicate with anyone anywhere at any time.  Just as we wouldn’t let our children leave the house without safety rules, it’s important to have rules when interacting online.  The consequences are dire, actually. You’re not safe, you could be exposed to inappropriate information, you could become a victim of cybercrimes like identity theft.  It’s also possible to inadvertently leak your location to criminals and become of victims of kidnapping or exploitation.  It’s a pretty serious thing that we deal with on a daily basis.

What is cyber bullying?

Cyber bullying is any bullying that occurs through electronic technology, like computers or cell phones or tablets.  What cyber bullies do is to use those means to intimidate and humiliate others. For example, they might use those means to send nasty text messages to individuals, or post comments on social media about a person, send or forward sexually explicit pictures, or pretend to be another person by accessing their account or setting up new ones.   It’s especially dangerous because the bully can often remain anonymous, using blocked numbers or fake names.  By definition, the behavior is repeated, often occurs between people who know each other, and is especially harmful because it can occur around the clock, 24/7.  Often when something is posted, it can impossible to ensure that all traces are removed.  Messages and images can be widely distributed within minutes.

What guidelines can I follow to protect my child?

The first thing to do would be to set up parental control options through your internet service provider. They often has ways to block specific websites.  It’s important when your child comes of age and starts using the computer that you communicate with them and demonstrate appropriate behavior by using the internet together.  You can also find programs that monitor and track online activity.  Parents should always know their child’s passwords. Parents should routinely check social media and email accounts. Parents should make sure the computer is in a public space in the house.  Finally, I think it’s really important to not let children use social media sites until they’re ready.  You’re not supposed to have a social media account until you are 13 years old.  That’s due to compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. This law, which not a lot of people know about, is intended to prevent children under the age of 13 from having their personal information collected without consent.  Websites have to explain privacy settings and are prohibited from requiring more personal information than is necessary from children under 13. If a parent allows a child under the age of 13 to create an account, they’re circumventing this law that is actually meant to protect them.  Furthermore, I think it demonstrates to children that it’s okay to lie on the internet.

I have heard about parents who set up an online agreement with their child.  What does that mean and what should be included? 

I think that’s a great idea.  An online agreement is like a written contract. A child and parents sit down together and outline appropriate internet usage.  There can even be consequences established for any violations.  You can find a lot of these examples online if you Google “online agreement” and that can help guide the parent to the one that is best for their child. The content for the most part is going to depend on age. Younger children should agree to not give out any information, not to meet any people in person that they meet online.  They should be told to limit online interaction to people they actually know in person. They should keep all passwords secret. They should be told not to respond to or post mean messages. They shouldn’t install any software without talking with their parents first.  Finally, and most importantly, they should learn to talk to their parents about any online interactions that makes them feel uncomfortable.  By the time they are teenagers, you are still going to have those same rules, but now that they are on social media websites, the agreement needs to be expanded.  First, teenagers need to be conscious of the amount of time they are spending online.  There are a lot of studies showing huge amounts of hours that kids are spending online in front of computers and screens, and we don’t yet know the effects of that.  They need to agree not to bully others and to report any bullying they encounter.  They shouldn’t post pictures or make comments that may prove embarrassing in the future.  We commonly tell kids, if you wouldn’t say it or show it to Grandma, then don’t put it online. They shouldn’t post pictures of their friends or from their friends without their friend’s knowledge.  They need to protect their password.  Kids also need to be careful about plagiarizing any digital content when completing their schoolwork--they need to understand how to cite references.