Tech Abuse and Your Child: What You Can Do

New technology brings new ways to stay in touch and guard your child's safety but it also brings new ways to steal, cheat, bully, act irresponsibly, and harm others.

Bullying via camera cell phones and Internet is an international problem and misuse starts younger than you might imagine. BBC reports that one in nine 5-9 year olds has a mobile phone, and over a third of primary school children with mobile phones have received name-calling text messages. 10% have received threats at the level of “bullying”.

CAMERA CELLPHONES

Preteens and teens use cell phone cameras to photograph peers and humiliate them over the Internet, such as photographing a student naked in the locker room. Text messages are also used for harassment and cheating on exams.

Legislation is starting about the privacy aspects of such photography, beginning with restrictions on federally-owned land. The private sector is also swinging into action. The YMCA in Australia has forbidden the use of cellphone cameras in their facilities.

IDENTITY THEFT

You should also be aware that someone standing near you at the checkout counter with a cell phone could photograph your credit card and have access to all the information.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

While we all wait to see if social norms will develop regarding the use of cell phones, what do you think? Personally, I wouldn’t count on it or it would already have happened. Here are some things you can do:

1.Be proactive.

Work with school officials about bullying. Ray Hughes, violence prevention coordinator with the Thames Valley District School says a classroom or seat change can help the bullied, and bullies need consistent non-violent enforcement of consequences for their actions both at home and at school.

2.Work to establish Emotional Intelligence programs at school and at work that teach respect and social norms.

3.Observe good manners with your tech equipment and teach your children that with privilege comes responsibility.

Pay attention, do your job and supervise. One middle schooler given a cell phone quickly racked up a bill over $1,500.

Establish rules with your child or teenager and enforce them. Don’t allow your children to have computers in their bedrooms, teach them respect for others, and educate them in the use of any potentially harmful object (just as do bikes, microwaves, power tools, electric knives, gas grills, guns and cars).

Go over what bullying is and make direct inquiries of your child. Here is a list of symptoms of both bullied and bully - http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2003/09/02/174030.html . It's considered the preferred bullying method of girls, BTW.

4.Get informed.

Know as much as your child does and monitor. For instance, you can check on cheating and bullying by clicking into the phone’s text messaging history.

5.Speak up and teach your child to.

School officials say 85% of bullying occurs when there is only a peer present. Both school bullying and work bullying ( http://www.webstrategies.cc/mobbing.htm ) rely on the victim remaining silent.