A subhead to this post might be "The flaws of laws" – but also the flawed term "cyberbullying" itself. Every kid is very individual, so every case of bullying or cyberbullying is very individual. It's therefore difficult and probably very unwise to make generalizations about the cases, the children involved, or bullying in general. And increasingly I'm hearing from risk-prevention experts, even as … [Read more...] about Fresh takes on ‘cyberbullying’ & how to deal with it
Risk & Safety
‘You’re (digitally) grounded!’
Instead of grounding their kids for bad grades or behavior, more and more parents are taking away the cellphone, laptop, or Xbox, the Washington Post reports. " In a report earlier this year that captured part of the trend, 62% of parents said they had taken away a cellphone as punishment," it adds, citing data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The article tells of how Ian, then a … [Read more...] about ‘You’re (digitally) grounded!’
Craigslist deletes adult section
Here in the US, online classifieds service Craigslist removed its "Adult Services" section on Saturday, though the hundreds of reporters and bloggers who, within a couple of hours, had covered the development, were not sure if it was permanent (as of this writing, there was no statement on the site's official blog). Seen by youth advocates, human rights activists, and US state attorneys general … [Read more...] about Craigslist deletes adult section
Continuing decline in child sexual abuse
In a talk we ConnectSafely folk give, we have a slide with the question, "Has the growth in young people's use of the Internet correlated with a rise in sexual abuse against children?" We follow that with an emphatic "no" and a chart from the Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC) at the University of New Hampshire that actually shows a 51% decline in child sexual victimization in the US … [Read more...] about Continuing decline in child sexual abuse
Youth online risk: Accurate reporting
It's always refreshing to see solid reporting where online kids and parenting are concerned! The main takeaway from this Rome (Ga.) News-Tribune article is that, yes, social media represent a new challenge for parents, but we can usually handle it just fine and here's how. It tells of how a local couple with six children of ages ranging from 6 to 19 – all but the youngest of whom "have a cell … [Read more...] about Youth online risk: Accurate reporting