How to Protect a Child from Cyber Bullies

Studies show more than 40 percent of children who use the Internet have encountered problems with cyber bullying. A cyber bully is someone who uses a computer or other communication device, including a cell phone and text messages, to embarrass, annoy, threaten, or tease someone else. The most famous cases of cyber bullying have resulted in injury or even death to the victims.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Talk to your children about Internet safety. Remind him to never give out his passwords, even to his closest friends. One of the most common and devastating forms of cyber bullying often comes after the break up of a friendship when one child will use the password provided by his former friend to send out messages from that former friend's account. The messages look like they came from the victim and can result in humiliation or worse for the victim.

2. Watch your child's reaction to calls or text messages. Does the child seem unusually anxious and avoid the phone or the computer? Check through the old messages or call your cell phone provider to get a list of all the text messages sent to and from your child's phone. According to the Illinois Attorney General's office, the laws in many states are being changed to ensure that parents can legally access this information.

3. Check the history on your child's computer and find out what sites she has been visiting. One common form of cyber harassment is to post a child's picture at websites like "Hot or Not." The website rates people based on their looks and can be crushing to a teenager's already fragile self-esteem.

4. Read your child's MySpace page. Look at comments and bulletins that are posted there as well as reviewing your child's postings for signs that he is giving away too much information about himself and making himself an easy target for cyber bullies or other Internet predators.

5. Watch your child. A sudden drop in grades, avoidance of the computer and reluctance to attend school all may be signs of a child's victimization by cyber bullies.

6. Google your child's name. Check on a regular basis to see what information about your child is available on the web. Better yet, create a Google alert to let you know when your child has been referenced in cyber space.

Tips & Warnings

• Experts agree that some signs of cyber bullying are just signs of being a teenager, but encourage parents to be aware of what goes on in their homes and on the electronic devices they fund for their children.
• Take the threat of cyber bullies seriously. Cyber bullying contributed to the suicide of a teenager in Missouri and cyber threats have escalated to physical confrontations resulting in injuries.