Is Your Child Being Cyber-Bullied? Would You Know? Study says, “Probably not.”

New research looks at how many parents are unaware that their children are being victimized on the internet…

Researchers found that while 30 percent of youths admit to having been cyberbullied, only slightly higher than 10 percent of their parents reported that they knew.

About 15 percent of the youths in the study admitted to cyberbullying others; under 5 percent of those parents were aware.

The study also suggested that parents of younger teens — those who believe their child is smarter than others online, or who are not able to monitor their teen’s internet use — are more likely to be unaware that their child has been cyberbullied.

Parents can take direct steps to helping protect their children online by engaging in positive conversations about internet safety, moving the computer to a public place within the house, which works to varying degree depending on the child’s access to the mobile Internet.

The best step is to open a line of communication with children so parents can increase their awareness of their online behavior.

 

For more information on ways to protect and nurture your relationship with your kids, check out Parenting with Grace: The Catholic Parents’ Guide to Raising (almost) Perfect Kids.