Stranger danger just one click away

As empowering as social media can be for students, the stranger danger element remains a very real concern for many parents.
Barry Lee Cummings is the Chief Awareness Officer for Beat The Cyberbully (BTCB), an awareness and education initiative that came to the Middle East in early 2014.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, he said a lot of youngsters today are excited to get their "15 minutes of fame online", but with that they are opening themselves up to many risks. "(To become popular online) these youngsters think they need more followers and that means letting strangers into their networks," Cummings said.
And once this happens, the consequences can be very real, he added. "You only have to reference the many cases of teen suicide to understand the truly tragic outcomes possible."
Cummings said the role of BTCB is to provide informative and interactive sessions to students, teachers and parents in schools, to increase the levels of understanding around the digital environment.
"It works to alert of the potential dangers and how to protect ourselves and our children online. We also publish a lot of content through our Facebook, Twitter and Blog pages to give people as much information as possible on cybersafety, cyberbullying and online reputation."
With around one in three students here admitting to having been bullied online, the biggest complaints are: unwanted attention from strangers; and cyberbullying, which manifests in "flaming, outing, harassment and masquerading".
What is even more alarming is the fact that the cyberbullying is usually being done by people they know. For parents eager to monitor their child's online use better, Cummings said there are two rules of thumb:
1. Set ground rules. Speak with your children, and not just in sporadic bursts in the car on the way to or from school. Dedicate time to discuss the dos and don'ts of their online behaviour. This is dependent on age of course, as you can't reason or set rules with a toddler.
So this then revolves around behaviour. Handing a toddler a smart device to keep them quiet is just not a good idea without preparation - of yourself and the device.
2. Set the time and the place. As youngsters, a lot of the parents today didn't have the connectivity we're used to today, but they did have an alternative. The television. I am sure if many parents think back, they will recall being banned from watching TV for hours at time by their parents. The same thing applies here.
Recent statistics from the UK showed 39 per cent of tweens and teenagers (11-17 year olds) were spending upwards of 10 hours a day on Snapchat. Why? The simple answer is because they are being allowed to.
Parents need to think about implementing allotted times for connectivity. Dedicate a time in the day, like a family meal, where no technology or gadgets are allowed at the table.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
----
Listen up students! report abuse online:
1 Always screen grab the evidence if possible. Online abuse is taken very seriously here in the UAE by the government and they have dedicated teams to deal with not only cybersecurity but cyberbullying, especially targeting young people. Having evidence of the bullying can help to stop it and bring those responsible to justice.
2 Learn how to report things on whichever channel you are using. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all the other channels have reporting functions, for private messages and for profiles, so you can report and block them as well. Parents, children and teachers need to be up to date on this.
3 Increase your awareness and education levels so that you are on the same page as your peers and elders. At the moment, there is a huge divide between what parents know and what their children know. Reducing this gap is BTCB's main objective.