(image: stopcyberbullying.org)
School is back in session around the country and with it
comes the cyber-bullies who think they can hide behind social media accounts
and unaware adults. So what can kids who are being bullied and their parents
do? Forbes Living shares information on the latest technology and apps which
has the power to stop cyber-bullies.
The pain of a child who is being harassed, threatened and
bullied online by classmates or other kids now has the opportunity and power to
put and end to it. New technology is available and is a good deterrent against
online bullying.
But first, nearly 15 percent of students in the 9th
to 12th grades have experienced cyber bullying, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2013 Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance System. These kids are twice as likely to commit suicide too.
A smart phone app just released called STOPIt gives children
the option to take a screenshot of a harassing post, picture or text, and send
it anonymously to a trusted adult. This is a very popular feature among teens
who want to help but fear retaliation.
We Heart It is a site which allows users to post photos but
allows no comments. It is also very popular with teens because of the no
commenting feature. For parents who want to know when a cyber-bully posts something
negative about their child, there is Metlife’s Defender identity protection
program, which offers a service that monitors a child’s online accounts for
abusive content and sends alerts to their parents. Forbes Living TV believes this
is a good solution for parents who are a little behind on all the social platforms
around.
Children and parents should also know what to do if a
cyber-bully is present in their lives:
- Take a screenshot of the image, text message or social post. Be sure to get the user’s name and date the threat is posted or sent.
- Block the bully’s phone number, unfriend them on Facebook, block them on Twitter and Instagram.
- Report bullies, including those under age 18, to the website, their parents and the school.
- Kids should feel comfortable to tell an adult. Any adult they know whom they think will help: a parent, an aunt or uncle, a teacher, school counselor, religious leader like a pastor or rabbi, coach, or after-school mentor to name quite a few.
It takes courage to report someone who is cyber-bullying. When
parents and kids do it together, it is less scary.
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