How to Spot Social Network Abuse

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace can be great for making friends, but they also pose a hazard. People lie about who and what they are and then purposely harm other people. This can take the form of sexual predators trying to entice young people into sexual encounters or cyberbullies, who delight in harassing others. People can also distort personal facts to appear more appealing and accomplished.

Instructions

1. Keep track of how much time your child spends online. Worry if your child is suddenly spending a lot more time online, particularly if she has stopped doing other things such as watching favorite TV shows or hanging out with friends.

2. Question your child if you find pornography on your family's computer or on CD-ROMs or flash drives. Sexual predators often send pornographic files to their victims. Also insist on knowing what's inside any letters or packages your child gets from people you don't know.

3. Ask about phone calls your child is making to numbers you aren't familiar with or taking calls at odd times, especially if he or she won't tell you who's on the phone.

4. Talk to your child if he or she becomes withdrawn or depressed. He or she may be being bullied by an online acquaintance or a sexual predator may be driving a wedge between you and your child in order to make him or her more vulnerable.

5. Check which accounts your child is using to communicate with online friends. If he or she is using someone else's account, ask who authorized the use of the account. Online predators frequently provide their victims with accounts to use, knowing that the messages can't be monitored by parents.

6. Be aware that adults can be victims of social network abuse, too. Don't allow yourself to become too involved with your online acquaintances or depend solely on online social networks for emotional support.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure all computers are in the family room, not in the children's bedrooms, where it's easy to be secretive. If your child quickly changes the page he or she is viewing whenever you enter the room, insist that he or she return to the previous page so you can see what's on it.

• Download the booklet "Internet Safety for Kids" from Packet-Level.com (the link is found in the Resources section below) to help you understand the dangers your children face online.

• Don't take cyberbullying lightly. Put a stop to any bullying immediately and notify the authorities. Block the person from access to your child's email, instant messaging service or social network page.

• Children and teenagers can't always protect themselves from social network abuse, so it's up to parents to be alert to signs that their children are being abused.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Have your child check all online friends on the Bully Database.
• Download the Internet Safety information