School-aged children are constantly finding themselves drawn to the enticing world of social media and the Internet.
And parents need to be equipped to keep their kids safe from all the dangers in that world.
Janene M. Holter, the senior supervisory special agent with the Attorney General’s office of education and outreach program, spoke about Internet safety and cyberbullying to about 15 students and parents Tuesday night at Southwest Middle School.
This is the fourth year the school is presenting the topic, and there will also be an assembly for the students, said Luz V. Colon, the Parent and Faculty Organization coordinator.
“We want to educate the parents on what to do and how to monitor their child,” Colon said.
Colon said some of the problems they are encountering in schools include problems with Facebook, cyberbullying and fake profile pages made about teachers and students.
Holter advised:
Monitor what your children are doing online. Check their online activity on a regular basis. Look through their friends list, see who they are following and who is following them. A child should not “friend” anyone they don’t know in person.
Know all the passwords to the electronic devices and social media accounts the child may have. If they change the password or refuse to give it, take away all electronic devices.
Confiscate children’s electronic devices overnight. Keep them in the parents’ bedroom or someplace private that the child does not have access to. She added that after the child is asleep is a good time to monitor what they were doing that day.
Talk to your child about what they are posting and how they are representing themselves online. Once posted, pictures are online forever. Pictures can give away locations and children should never put their full names online. Child predators look for easily accessible information.
“The only reason you are doing this is to keep them safe,” Holter said. “Unfortunately, there are criminals out there. Talk to your children. If anyone makes them uncomfortable online, report it to a parent.”
Holter finished the presentation with a couple of videos about the after-effects of cyberbullying.
Don’t respond to bullies in person or online. It often only makes things worse.
Report any instances of bullying to a parent, teacher or other adult immediately. This includes situations in which other people are being bullied, in person or online, and you witness it. It could save a life.
Students are responsible for everything they post online, and there can be legal ramifications because of online posting. Be careful what you post.
“We have to really tell our children the importance of respect,” Holter said. “As long as you guys (children) are willing to hold on to your morals and values, you can end bullying.”
Contact Rochel Leah Goldblatt: 610-371-5024 or rgoldblatt@readingeagle.com.