Dear Parents, Before you Handover that Gadget to your Child, have you Equipped them Adequately?
Protecting Your Child from Online Predators: A Comprehensive Guide
source: PixabayWhile the internet has its
benefits, it has also become a breeding ground for child predators who seek to
harass, groom, and exploit children. Unfortunately, the majority of these
offenders (98%) are unknown to their victims in real life, making it even more
difficult to protect your child. This guide aims to provide families with the
tools to understand the risks associated with online activity and the steps
they can take to protect their children both online and offline.
What is Cyberbullying?
It is
deliberate and repetitive harm caused through electronic devices? With the
prevalence of cruelty in our digital environment, it is now common, even
without a specific intent to harm a less powerful target like a child repeatedly.
Despite the fact that online interactions lack typical communication points,
the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) recently revealed that over 50% of
children experience various forms of cyber malpractice, making them the fastest-growing
online demographic. Currently, all cases of cyberbullying are investigated
using evidence-based approaches by the Department of Criminal Investigation-Kenya.
What to do?
Should your child become a victim
of grooming, avoid confronting them, as this may cause them to shut down and leave
out important information, you can report the incident via https://www.ke-cirt.go.ke/ or by sending
a letter, email, or by physically reporting it to the CA Office. The relevant
authorities will investigate your case and contact you at a later date.
Child predators typically have one
or more of the following objectives:
- to obtain explicit photos of children,
- to engage in sexual activity in person,
- to engage in sexual conversation and/or online role-play, or
- to gain some sort of financial benefit.
Predators will lie to children about their age and may even register as younger individuals when signing up for an online account. They will then engage in grooming, a process that involves earning the child's trust, determining the level of caregiver supervision, normalizing sexual behavior, and ultimately attempting to achieve their goal by requesting explicit photos, meeting in person, engaging in role-play, or blackmailing the victim for financial gain.
Prevention is always better than cure: How to prevent your child from cyberbullying:
- Educate your child about cyberbullying. Make sure they understand what bullying is so they can recognize it if they or someone else experiences it.
- Keep an open dialogue with your child about their experiences at school and online. Check in with them daily and ask about their day, including their feelings.
- Encourage your child to be a positive role model. They can prevent bullying by being inclusive, respectful, and kind to their peers. If they witness bullying, they can support the victim and question the bully's behavior.
- Help build your child's self-confidence by encouraging them to participate in activities they enjoy in the community.
- Be a good role model yourself. Treat others with kindness and respect, including speaking up when others are mistreated. Children look to their parents as examples of how to behave, both online and offline.
- Familiarize yourself with the platforms your child uses online and discuss the risks they may encounter. Be a part of their online experience and teach them how to use the internet safely.
How to Identify Signs of Cyberbullying?
If you suspect that your child may
be experiencing cyberbullying, there are several signs you can look out for. By
monitoring changes in your child's school and social life, technology use,
emotions, and behavior, you can identify potential issues and take action.
Observe School and Social Life. Your
child may be experiencing cyberbullying if they:
- Refuse to go to school
- Start getting lower grades than usual
- Don't want to see friends as often
- Avoid group gatherings
- Don't want to participate in their usual sports and extracurricular activities
- Refuse to leave the house
§ Monitor Technology Use: Your child may be experiencing
cyberbullying if they:
- Appear upset during or after using technology
- Spend more time online than usual or stop using the computer or phone altogether
- Hide what they're doing on the computer or phone when you're around
- Become more moody than usual
- Show obvious changes in behavior
- Get unusually angry at home
- Have trouble sleeping
- Lose their appetite
- Become withdrawn
- Complain of frequent headaches or stomach aches
Parents can discuss digital space
with their children to raise awareness of online safety and the consequences of
risky behavior. Conversation starters could include the importance of not
sharing personally identifiable information, showing children news stories
about predators who met kids through social media and gaming platforms they
use, discussing the stages of grooming so they can identify the behavior if
needed, and reminding them to come to you if they find themselves in a
dangerous situation.
When children and teenagers are
being cyberbullied, it's important that they feel empowered to take steps to
address the situation. These six steps, can help your child deal with
cyberbullying:
- Block or delete the person doing the cyberbullying: Removing the cyberbully from your child's friend list can stop them from posting offensive content. If necessary, the phone number can also be blocked, and the service provider can be contacted to monitor calls or texts.
- Ensure you keep evidence of bullying: Taking screenshots is an effective way of preserving evidence of the bullying.
- Tell someone: If your child shares their feelings with you, another family member, teacher, or friend, it can help them feel less isolated. The sooner they talk to someone, the better.
- Report abuse Most websites and social media platforms have a "report abuse" option that can be used to notify them of the cyberbullying. If the offensive material isn't removed within 48 hours. If your child is threatened, they should also report it to the police, and if they are in immediate danger, they should call 116 Child Helpline.
- Initiate control: Taking control of the situation can help your child feel safer and break the cycle of bullying. This involves reporting the abuse and not responding to or retaliating against the cyberbully. Distraction techniques like going for a walk, muscle relaxation, or breathing exercises can help your child avoid the urge to respond.
- Delete the bullying message: Once the evidence of the cyberbullying has been saved, the message or post should be deleted and not forwarded, reposted, retweeted, or sent to others.
Ways to Support Children and Teenagers who Experience Cyberbullying
It can be difficult for children
and teenagers to resolve cyberbullying issues on their own, which is why
parental support is important. As a parent, you can offer practical and
emotional support to your child in the following ways:
Listen to your child: Avoid jumping
into solving the problem right away. Instead, listen to your child’s concerns and
be sensitive to their needs.
Seek permission: Let your child
know that you are willing to help but will not take any action without their
permission.
Involve the school: If necessary,
involve your child’s school, but only after obtaining your child’s consent. It
may help your child to know that telling a teacher is a good idea, especially
if the bully is a fellow student.
Avoid restricting technology:
Refrain from banning or limiting your child’s technology use, as this may
discourage them from sharing their problems with you or isolate them from supportive
friends online.
Get professional help: If your
child seems distressed or withdrawn, seek professional help from resources such
as Kids Helpline - Teens, Beyond Blue, headspace or your GP.It can be challenging to detect
cyberbullying since victims may not be aware of what is happening to them or
may feel embarrassed to share their experiences with adults. They may also fear
that the situation will worsen if an adult intervenes or that they will lose
their computer or phone privileges.
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