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Cyberbullying Tips For Single Parents

1
We all know that raising children is not for the faint of heart. Even though, we love our sons and daughters with all of our being, there are inevitably days that leave us at our wit’s end about ready to pull our hair out. We love our kids, however being a single parent can make our job a little more frustrating on several different levels as we juggle the roles of caregiver, employee, breadwinner, disciplinarian, and more.

While we can reach out to our support systems for help with school pickups or late nights at work, it can be overwhelming for

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one person to keep constant tabs on our child’s social media and technology diet. Yes, even though technology allows us to connect and interact on a whole new level with our family, it also poses some unseen threats like cyberbullying. Thankfully, with a little awareness and practical advice we can help our kids overcome cyberbullying, even when we are overwhelmed.

Cyberbullying and Children: What We Need To Know

 To help put the cyberbullying threat into perspective, consider the following data:

70 percent of our older children hide their

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3
digital activity from us
the rates of cyberbullying have tripled within the last years and it is believed that 87 percent of our children are exposed to cyberbullying.

The Cyberbullying Guide For Single Parents

The statistics can be overwhelming and might leave us feeling like we are fighting an uphill battle. Thankfully, listed below are seven ways we can empower our children and reduce the likelihood they will become a victim:

Design a technology contract for the family. Sit down as a family and write out all expectations and

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4
consequences for cell phones, devices, and online behaviors. Afterwards, everyone will be on the same page eliminating future disagreements.

Begin a conversation. It sounds cliche, but we need to talk to our kids. Reclaim family dinners or take advantage of carpools to find out what is happening in their young lives. Keep open the lines of communication and remember to include discussions about cyberbullying.

Check a child’s online activity and behavior. Know their passwords, usernames, friends, and sites they use and every so often check their

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texts and browser history.

Help children and teens choose the appropriate privacy settings. While we assume our kids know how to protect their information, we need to make sure they actually do. Show them how to check their privacy.

Document. If a child sees or receives a bullying message, have them document it with a screenshot or save the item. This will be crucial if you need to seek intervention from school staff or the authorities.

If a child is experiencing bullying, don’t allow them to open any messages or social media accounts alone.

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This will allow you to be a shoulder to lean on and provide opportunities to document any negative comments.

Consider using a monitoring program. Look for a program that allows you to view online activity, deleted messages, location, and text messages. It will help you organize all their accounts and simplify checking in on them. However, as a child matures and demonstrates good judgment, consider stepping back.

How do you protect children from cyberbullying?

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- 22 May 17

We all know that raising children is not for the faint of heart. Even though, we love our sons and daughters with all of our being, there are inevitably days that leave us at our wit’s end about ready to pull our hair out. We love our kids, however being a single parent can make our job a little more frustrating on several different levels as we juggle the roles of caregiver, employee, breadwinner, disciplinarian, and more.

While we can reach out to our support systems for help with school pickups or late nights at work, it can be overwhelming for one person to keep constant tabs on our child’s social media and technology diet. Yes, even though technology allows us to connect and interact on a whole new level with our family, it also poses some unseen threats like cyberbullying. Thankfully, with a little awareness and practical advice we can help our kids overcome cyberbullying, even when we are overwhelmed.

Cyberbullying and Children: What We Need To Know

 To help put the cyberbullying threat into perspective, consider the following data:

  • 70 percent of our older children hide their digital activity from us
  • the rates of cyberbullying have tripled within the last years and it is believed that 87 percent of our children are exposed to cyberbullying.

The Cyberbullying Guide For Single Parents

The statistics can be overwhelming and might leave us feeling like we are fighting an uphill battle. Thankfully, listed below are seven ways we can empower our children and reduce the likelihood they will become a victim:

Design a technology contract for the family. Sit down as a family and write out all expectations and consequences for cell phones, devices, and online behaviors. Afterwards, everyone will be on the same page eliminating future disagreements.

Begin a conversation. It sounds cliche, but we need to talk to our kids. Reclaim family dinners or take advantage of carpools to find out what is happening in their young lives. Keep open the lines of communication and remember to include discussions about cyberbullying.

Check a child’s online activity and behavior. Know their passwords, usernames, friends, and sites they use and every so often check their texts and browser history.

Help children and teens choose the appropriate privacy settings. While we assume our kids know how to protect their information, we need to make sure they actually do. Show them how to check their privacy.

Document. If a child sees or receives a bullying message, have them document it with a screenshot or save the item. This will be crucial if you need to seek intervention from school staff or the authorities.

If a child is experiencing bullying, don’t allow them to open any messages or social media accounts alone. This will allow you to be a shoulder to lean on and provide opportunities to document any negative comments.

Consider using a monitoring program. Look for a program that allows you to view online activity, deleted messages, location, and text messages. It will help you organize all their accounts and simplify checking in on them. However, as a child matures and demonstrates good judgment, consider stepping back.

How do you protect children from cyberbullying?

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