A very serious threat to the
well-being of children is one that many parents still know too little about:
cyber-bullying. Its effects can be devastating.
We have all read news reports of
young suicide victims, bullied into believing life was no longer worth living
because of relentless attacks over the Internet.
One can only imagine the ripple
effect these tragedies have had on the victims’ families, and their
communities, and even on the perpetrators.
Most young people who take part
in cyber-bullying do it as a joke, and don’t pause to consider the impacts.
Throughout human history, young people have shown they can be mean to each
other, but the Internet has provided them with the tools to be truly cruel.
Many parents are simply not up
to speed when it comes to social network sites or the online places their own
children visit. New sites seem to emerge each day.
Add in the presence of text
messages and video messages, and it all means that parenting in the age of
cyber-crimes is more challenging than ever.
It might seem like a good idea
to give a young child a cell phone with Internet access, but parents should
consider the trade-offs they are making when they do so.
Yes, children will be able to
stay in touch; but the risk is real, especially with young children whose
judgment and decision-making skills are not yet fully developed.
Our office is working closely in
partnership with District Attorney Joyce Dudley to address and reduce incidents
of cyber-bullying. Parents need to be active partners in these efforts as well.
