Image Credit: bernov69

I read this great article today that my friend forwarded me from the NYTimes.  She herself does not have kids, but thought of all her mommy friends that might enjoy the read.

As Bullies Go Digital, Parents Play Catch-Up

By JAN HOFFMAN

Published: December 4, 2010

Parents trying to protect their children from Internet bullying are scrambling to catch up with the technology.

The article talks about how tweens and teens are now being bullied in cyber space and how that is spilling into their reality.  I was amazed at the amount of kids that had experienced this type of act in their young lives.

I consider myself pretty progressive in teaching my kids about technology and social media.  They have a MAC, they each have an iPod, they play online social games like Farmville and Pet Pet Park, one of them has a  Facebook page and they know how to use email.  Even my 5yr old has his own email address to stay connected with Grandma across the U.S.

Yet, even I am failing at teaching my kids the reality of cyber bullying.  They know all about stranger danger, dealing with real bullies, and even online predators.  If you haven’t read anything about how to protect your kids from cyber bullying then this is worth your time.

One thing I do know from experience is that parents, teachers, and adults who don’t do anything to address the bullies just perpetuate the problem.  It is more responsible to have a 5min awkward conversation with another parent than it is to deal with years of hurt and pain from your child or another child being bullied.

I know we will be having a family pow-wow soon about the topic in my own home and I encourage you to do the same.

Related articles

• How Much Do Your Parents Know About Your Life Online? (learning.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Stop Cyberbullying and Internet Predators with PC Pandora Monitoring Software During the 7th Annual Cyber Security Awareness Month (prweb.com)
• The Tricky Politics of Tween Bullying – TIME Healthland (debateopinion.wordpress.com)
• Randy Taran: Want to Stop the Bullying? It Starts at Home (huffingtonpost.com)