Anti Cyberbullying #KLAntiBullyingWeek

This week is National Anti Bullying week. Of course these days bullying doesn’t just concern itself with the playground but is there online as well – cyberbullying. With this in mind Kaspersky Lab ran a great hangout for some bloggers to pick up some tips and information about cyberbullying and how to protect your kids online.

The bloggers involved covered a whole host from dads, mums, teachers, school governors and it was amazing hearing everyone’s tips and techniques for keeping their kids safe. At 5 & 8 mine are just starting to dip their toes in the world of online. Games such as Minecraft and HayDay for example where a lot of parents don’t realise that they have instant access through it to other children & adults tend to be my prime concern at this age. And yet it was interesting to hear of the numerous children who are on facebook, snapchat etc all underage because their friends are. Of course how you protect them unless you’re on there too? Of course ensure your online protection is up to date is essential. But does your also include online protection on your phones? Tablets? Ensure its multi-device protection.

One of the other bloggers pointed out that actually we do only hear the worse of cyberbullying and that to a point children have to be trusted and allowed a certain amount of privacy. The question is: are your children aware of what to keep an eye out for? Do they understand that if they post a picture it doesn’t just disappear and even if they delete it there could still be copy’s around. David mentioned at this point that there is a great website called thinkunow which children & adults can head to and find out some information and help. There’s also a place where you go to report abuse if they feel uncomfortable or worried about someone they are chatting to online.

Alongside the idea that children need privacy and to be trusted Penny Carr mentioned that her school had recommended that children of all ages had 5 adults they could go to. I think this is a perfect idea as a fair few teenagers have posted things or are confused about something and are too embarrassed perhaps or shy of asking their parents for advice and help. It can be anyone that they know and like and trust for example a teacher, a TA, a scout leader even!

The main point to come of this was to ensure your children are educated and keep following it up. Not daily but fairly often especially if they are on every day. So to round up here my 5 Top Tips:

1, Talk to your child! Do explain exactly what bullying is: Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.

2, Consider having safety protection apps that prevent them going on games, videos etc that are aimed over their age group. Take a look at someone like Home Halo which covers all devices in the home and allows each a separate setting.

3, Ensure they do have adults preferably 5 that they can trust and talk too.

4, Allow them a certain amount of trust on apps but befriend them so can you still keep an eye out discreetly.

5, Don’t talk to strangers! Simple in real life but still relevant when it comes to the world online!  

I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. I have received a voucher as a token of thanks for this post