Cyberbullying in Chat Rooms
How do you control the cyberbullying that can go on in chat rooms besides not allowing them to go into them? You don't always know they are in them. Do you always need to keep checking?
If your kid goes to game chat rooms, for example, there is a lot of trash-talking. It's not always personal, but it's harsh, unwelcome, and can be cruel. Definitely talk to your kid about what your rules and expectations are for online communication. Explain the benefits of online communication and how great the Internet is and how it can be if people didn't say mean things. The idea of "community" is really important. We join online communities with a sense of trust—and if kids break that trust then the community doesn't work.
If your kid is on a site like Formspring, which allows kids to write anonymous (and usually mean-spirited) comments about people, then I would recommend calling together the parents of the other kids who are using it and trying to make some agreement to stop the mean-spirited comments. Print out the comments to show other parents if you think that they are unaware of what's going on.
Information provided by Caroline Knorr, Parenting Editor of Common Sense Media. For more tips about teaching your kids to be safe online, visit Common Sense Media.
report abuseIf your kid is on a site like Formspring, which allows kids to write anonymous (and usually mean-spirited) comments about people, then I would recommend calling together the parents of the other kids who are using it and trying to make some agreement to stop the mean-spirited comments. Print out the comments to show other parents if you think that they are unaware of what's going on.
Information provided by Caroline Knorr, Parenting Editor of Common Sense Media. For more tips about teaching your kids to be safe online, visit Common Sense Media.
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