Parents Encouraged To Talk About Cyber Bullying

Anti-bullying week starts on Monday 16th November with the aim of increasing awareness of the dangers youngsters are exposed to on their computers.

Parents should take time to speak to children about the dangers of bullying online and not just the troubles they face in the playground. 

Research shows almost one in ten parents will not think to proactively talk to their children about online bullying

One in six admitted they’re more confident giving advice to their child about staying safe in ‘real life’ compared to staying safe online

That's despite Childline saying almost 26,000 children have contacted them about bullying or cyber bullying in the last year.

O2 and the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) are joining forces to give practical information on children's online safety to parents, which can be found here.    

Modifying privacy settings, supervising access to the internet and monitoring social media accounts are just some of the steps parents can take to ensure their child is safe. 

Ronan Dunne, O2 Chief Executive, said: "When parents think of bullying, they often think about physical bullying like their child being picked on in the playground.

"Our research shows that while parents think they should talk to their five-year-olds about physical bullying, they’re willing to wait until their children are nine years old to speak to them about cyber bullying. For children, there is no distinction between the realms of online and offline. Parents must put aside their analogue upbringing and address this disconnect in the interest of their children’s safety.
 
“Although progress has been made in making sure young people receive practical online safety advice, more can and must be done to help parents have a role and understanding of their children’s online life. "