In recent times, a lot of children and teenagers have sophisticated communication devices like smartphones and iPads which costs about $200 – $1000 dollars. Such devices were procured by their parents so that these ‘kids’ can communicate with their friends but these parents are not mindful of the fact these children can connect to their peers and even older people with such devices.

Sophie (real names withheld) was so troublesome in class. She was quite smart and always had a good grasp of every concept her teacher would teach but she had this terrible attitude of getting other children in trouble. She will always gossip and talk to other people about any victim she identifies, say all manner of lies and slander her victim. She kept on getting into trouble at school with severe consequences of detentions and suspensions. On a particular day, I overheard another parent complaining to her daughter’s teacher that she doesn’t want her child to be in the same class with Sophie anymore because her daughter had become a victim of cyber-bullying all of a sudden.

I heard the word ‘cyber-bullying’ a couple of months ago from this parent and I was dumbfounded at my level of ignorance. I was totally blown off with this word.The children of this generation know so much beyond most adults.

What is Cyber-bullying?

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to threaten, harass, embarrass, intimidate or target another individual. This is basically common among young people. When an adult gets involved in it, it may be called cyber-harassment or cyberstalking, a crime that attracts legal consequences and may involve jail time.

How can a child face cyber-bullying?

If your child shows you a tweet, text message that is harsh, mean, or cruel. That is cyberbullying. Other acts may not be too easy to identify. These include: impersonating a victim online or posting personal information, photos, or videos designed to hurt or embarrass another person.

How can children be protected from cyber-bullying?

Parents and guardians need to monitor what their children get involved with. They need to build a sufficient level of trust between them and their children. They should discourage their children from using social media platforms that are not appropriate for their age until they are mature enough to be independent and responsible.

When their children eventually register on social media platforms, they need to find a way to monitor the children’s media accounts to make sure they get involved in decent activities. They also need to know the social media apps on their children’s phone or iPads and if possible, instal tracking apps on such electronic devices to monitor their activities. One of such apps is Teensafe. In America, TeenSafe has kept teens out of dangerous situations. It is been used by over a million parents to monitor calls, text messages and discussions on social media and lots more.

Parents need to be technologically savvy to be able to understand the activities of their children on social media in the midst of their daily activities and guide them so that they do not get cyber-bullied by their peers.

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