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The "command and control" approach to keeping children safe
from online Cyberbullying is doomed to fail in an age of social networking
warns Internet security expert Jody Melbourne.
Parents need to adopt a high-vigilance, low-touch approach when
supporting their children to survive the epidemic of Cyberbullying that is
sweeping Australia
and many other countries. Last year, South Australian police revealed they were
receiving reports of Cyberbullying on an almost daily basis.
"Cyberbullying" is a term coined to describe the age-old
practice of schoolyard bullying extended online, using technology as a tool to
harass an individual. Examples of Cyberbullying include spreading nasty rumours
by email or online postings; publishing online or emailing embarrassing photos or videos;
making abusive comments online; and even threatening or intimidating someone
online.
CQR Consulting Information Security Consultant Mr. Jody
Melbourne said technology uptake by youngsters had extended bullying from the
playground to the online environment. "While the core bullying behaviour
remains the same, the spread of playground bullying through technology to
social networks is causing rumours to spread much faster," he said.
"As a result, the impact of bullying online can escalate
very quickly. The reach of these technologies is something that many parents
cannot fathom. Rumours can spread faster than a bushfire. Once something is
online, it can go global quickly and can last forever.
"The biggest danger is potential damage to the self-esteem
of an impressionable young person. Kids take things very seriously. Getting
harassed by something trivial can be a living hell for a teenager. Not having
someone to talk to is one of the biggest frustrations they face.
"In one sense, because these are age-old playground problems that have always been there, they require the same ways of dealing
with it: Awareness; education; warning children what to expect.
"It is important to give kids freedom on the Internet rather
than impose authority or try to limit them. The Big Brother approach is not
going to work. It will only encourage them to subvert controls.
"Parents need to partner with their children by
understanding what sites their kids are using and why they are using them.
Parents should encourage learning and exploration. Allow youngsters to take a
few scrapes. Kids need to fall off the bike and skin their knees a few times to
learn what to expect."
CQR Consulting delivers independent information security
services, without the need to sell computer hardware, software or other technology
services. The Australian company provides an "honest broker" for organisations
often caught between the competing claims of incumbent vendors.
Mr. Melbourne said it was important not to throw out the
baby with the bathwater. "Cyberbullying is often presented as a threat from
social networking sites or Internet messaging, but these are not the problem, they're
just technologies," he said.
"The point is that kids are choosing to use these
technologies to communicate with each other and share their social lives now.
Parents need to understand what these things are, so they can talk the same language
as their children. Being time-poor is no excuse. Parents need to find a slice
of time to learn what these social networking sites are all about, so they can
help their children deal with them."
For more about CQR
Consulting, visit www.cqrconsulting.com. For media assistance, call John Harris at Impress Media Australia on
(08) 8431 4000 or
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