Inside: Protecting Your Kids From Cyberthreats. Collaborative post.
Our lives have never been more integrated with technology: it seems we can use a device connected online for almost everything.
That’s why thinking about our kids’ safety is so important: they must not be exposed to things they’re not prepared to handle.
Unfortunately, nearly 42% of kids have been bullied online, and almost one in four have had it happen more than once.
So, aside from the normal cyber threats like viruses or other malicious software, our kids must be our priority. It’s overwhelming because it seems like the scenery doesn’t stop changing, but you just need to consider a few things to protect them effectively. Let’s explore your choices.
- Learn all you can about the risks
Before we start exploring what you can do to fix things or to prevent things from happening, we need you to understand what exactly might happen in the first place. After all, around 3 in 4 global adults believe anti-cyberbullying efforts are ineffective, and there’s a reason for that.
There are malicious websites, cyber scams, bullying online, and inappropriate content to worry about. These things can affect you, of course, but your children might have an even worse time.
That’s why you should research these problems as a first step: only after that we can talk about what measures to take.
- Communicate with your children openly
Your children need to know that you can talk to them and that they can ask for help without being judged. Fortunately, most children (93%) say that they would tell someone if they saw something upsetting or nasty online.
In a nutshell, they should be able to tell you about their online experiences, their fears, and the things that worry them. Even silly scenes from video games should be enough to talk to you if they have questions.
- Set healthy rules and boundaries with your children
The physical world pushes you to have boundaries with your children, such as no running off, no crossing the streets without looking, etc. The digital world needs these boundaries as well.
You can limit their screen time by asking them to play outside, or you can ban certain websites and talk about the information they may or may not share online. Their age can influence how much or how little they can access.
Remind them that the principle of “stranger danger” works for both the real and the digital world.
- Use parental control tools
Parental control tools can be very useful when you don’t use them for punishment. Your children need to navigate the internet without feeling like they’re being watched all the time, but you need to be able to know what’s going on, especially if they are young and inexperienced online.
It can also be the best tool at hand if you have to stop harassment without invading their privacy and belittling them about what they do. Besides, to add another safety tool, you can get a VPN United Kingdom IP. Whatever brings you peace of mind.
- Educating your kids about staying safe online
Another good measure to take is simply educating your children about online problems. Tell them that most of the threats can be dealt with quickly, what information not to give, what links not to click, and how to ask for help if they need it.
You can also encourage them to reach out to people who are suffering from cyberbullying, offer their support, and have a healthy group of friends to play with online.
What to do if your child is cyberbullying someone
Cyberbullying is an issue that you will need to face at some point, and your child can be having these behaviors with other children. It’s fundamental that you don’t let time go by without taking action and that you don’t normalize it:
- Talk to them openly and ask them why they feel the need to do these things.
- Discuss an empathic approach; make them see how the other person can feel.
- Tell them about the consequences of such behavior and enforce them.
- Talk about kindness and respect for others, regardless of their differences.
- Monitor their behavior online.
- Get them professional help if they need it.
When you don’t shy away from these problems, you show them that you’re there to help them, but without taking away from your authority.
Keeping your children safe from cyberbullying and other threats online isn’t always an easy thing to achieve, but there are always things to improve if you haven’t started. Don’t give up hope!