Keeping Your Kids Safe from Cyberbullies
May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S. It’s an issue being raised for children’s health more often recently, in part because of suicides blamed on cyberbullying or online pranks.
FOX’s Lisa Brady reports on one way parents can help safeguard their kids:
We all need someone to lean on, but it’s especially important to help safeguard children in this age of social media:
(Martin) “As children are getting younger now when they’re having these crushes or texting or dating, they’re too young to deal with issues that come with this alone.”
Clinical counselor Rhonda Martin says ages 10-to-13 can be especially vulnerable. She recommends an emergency order:
(Martin) “And that’s real simple and it just means order of who I call if something major’s going on and I’m really upset.”
Number one on the list: The parent they’re most comfortable talking to:
(Martin) “The second person on the emergency order would be someone who answers their phone or text all the time, so in my family it would be Grandma Pat; she always answers her phone.”
Number three could be a coach they’re close to and you can have more, but Martin says make sure your kids know the list. Quiz them on it so it becomes second nature, what to do in an emotional crisis. Lines of communication that can be lifelines.
With Fox on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.
