October is a very busy month, recognizing many important causes. One of them is Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month.
I am honored to be part of Digital Citizen’s Alliance TweetChat on Wednesday, October 8th from 1:00-2:00pm EST. #StopCyberbullying is a concern for everyone – at all ages, however many parents are struggling with how to keep up with the fast-paced tech society as well as offline life!
Hopefully we will be able to give them some insights to assist them in keeping their kids safer both online and off when it comes to peer cruelty in their digital worlds — when they can’t be there.
Press Release:
Washington DC – On October 8th, Digital Citizens Alliance and nationally recognized author, parent and family internet safety advocate Sue Scheff will host a Twitter chat on cyberbullying and what parents can do to protect their kids. The #StopCyberbullying Twitter chat will take place between 1 – 2 PM EST and answer questions from the public about cyberbullying, discuss different forms of cyberbullying, and the latest apps and social networks where cyberbullies run rampant.
Cyberbullying continues to be a growing problem for kids across the country. According to a recent McAfee survey, 87% of youth have witnessed cyberbullying in the last year. In addition to the cyberbullying rate tripling, the survey also found that nearly a quarter of today’s youth do not know what to do if they are cyberbullied or harassed online.
“In today’s society, keeping up with your child’s cyber-life is as important as asking them how their day was at school. Many parents are in-tune with their child’s offline activities such as dance, soccer or even chess club, but are not keeping up with what apps are on their child’s phones or where they are lingering online,” said Sue announcing the #StopCyberbullying Twitter chat. Sue added, “Parents have to be part of the solution by opening a daily digital dialogue with their children.”
“That’s exactly why we’re teaming up with Sue,” added Digital Citizens Alliance Deputy Director Adam Benson. Benson continued, “This form of online abuse – just like content theft – puts a better, safer internet further out of reach for thousands of kids. As parents, we can better serve our kids our kids by educating ourselves on the challenges they face.”
Other topics will include how to serve as a cyber-mentor for your child, the relationship between sexting and cyberbullying, how to protect a child’s personal information from cyberbullies and advice on managing your child’s online activity. Interested individuals are encouraged to visit the #StopCyberbullying Twitter chat registration page to learn more and sign up. You can participate in the chat on October 8th between 1 – 2 PM EST by using the hashtag #StopCyberbullying.
To raise awareness among families on issues like cyberbullying, content theft and, Digital Citizens Alliance recently launched the Digital Families Project. Furthermore, the Digital Families Project also provides online tools that allow families and individuals to contact their policymakers on the internet safety issues that matter to them. To learn more about the Digital Families Project please visit the Digital Citizens Alliance website.
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