Monitoring+Your+Child's+Activity

Monitoring Your Child's activity on the internet is an essential part of preventing, and overcoming cyber-bullying. There are several steps to monitoring your child's activity, all of which will help protect children from predators, cyber-bullying, and showing kids how to make safe searches on the internet.

On this page we will explore how a parent or teacher can be sure that their students or children will be protected no matter what their venture on the internet. The first thing one must focus on is understanding what exactly a parent should be looking for when it comes to cyber-bullying. i.e. Cyber-bullying is when a child is abused, mainly mentally, through the use of a medium such as a computer, or cell phone. Cyber-bullying is different than bullying, because the bullying continues after the end of a school day, and continues to be difficult for the child being abused, as a constant battle.

So there are several places where cyber-bullying is the most prevalent: 1. Instant Messaging 2. Text Messaging 3. Social Networking Websites (i.e. Facebook, Myspace) 4. E-mail

In order to keep children safer in schools, and be able to monitor what is happening during the school day, a district wide definition of cyber-bullying should be added to the already defined guidelines on bullying. Then, the school can set consequences which will take place when a rule is broken. However, the problem still remains, how can parents be sure of how their children are going about their business online, without invading their privacy too much.

In a families household there are several steps to go about monitoring the activity of a child. The first way is to prevent a child from being able to have such accounts as Facebook, and Myspace, and in some cases denying or limiting their access to instant messaging, as well as previewing their emails. However, this is all very suffocating for a growing child, and limiting their access to their friends. It tends to be true, that those who subscribe to that theory of limiting a child's activity on the internet, also view the online utilities as lacking on the positive side, and suggest that there is more harm than good to them. However, in todays society, there are so many technological advances, that it is almost impossible to continue to keep putting off the benefits of using technology. And, even if a parent is not letting their child access those things at their home, there are still plenty of opportunities for them to create accounts on their own, whether it be at school, or at a friends house. Also, if a child is determined to open an account with one of these sites, or utilities, they will find a way and do so.

Consequently, the second way to deal with a child, and monitor a child's activity online, is to maintain a much more open relationship with your child, and discuss what they are taking part in online. Parents should know where their kids hold accounts online, do they have a facebook? a myspace? And parents should know what social networking sites are, and understand that good can indeed come from them. Also parents can talk to their children about protecting them from predators, being sure to explain what to look for, and how they can prevent themselves from falling into a trap.

Ultimately, the best way to stay on top of what your child is doing on the internet, is communication. Parents and teachers need to lay down the rules about cyber-bullying, and explain to them why they are concerned. Parents and teachers, need to be able to share an open dialog with the children, and allow kids to feel comfortable coming to them with issues which they may have online, or even through inappropriate text messaging. In the end, the sooner you find out about an incident, the sooner that you can address it with your children or students.

http://www.cfchildren.org/issues/cyberbullying/safeguardcyberbully/