Comments for On Kids, Parents and the Internet

Comment from Leo on 2008-06-02

2008-06-03T03:10:09Z

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While I agree with your position ("Computers should always
be located in the family room...") I think that the media
has overblown the real risk of things like predators and
child abuduction. I'm not saying that they don't happen -
they do - I'm just skeptical that they're as great a risk as
believing the media might lead us to believe.

Bullying, on the other hand, is a real, common and constant
threat. In my opinion it's the majority of that iceberg
because it affects more children on a daily and ongoing
basis.

Leo

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A comment on: On Kids, Parents and the Internet

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Comment from JohnE on 2008-06-02

2008-06-02T10:22:01Z

Children should NEVER be allowed to be online, unsupervised. Computers should always be located in the family room, never in a child's bedroom. It's not just bullies that are out there, there are plenty of predators who target children, grooming them for sexual abuse, and every child is a potential victim. Remember, these people are as skilled at entrapping kids as double glazing salesmen are at selling their wares, and if you are a parent and you don't supervise your kids online activity, you may never know that they are being set up. Cyberbullying is just the tip of a very unpleasant iceberg.

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A comment on: On Kids, Parents and the Internet

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Comment from Dominick on 2008-05-30

2008-05-30T16:13:10Z

Bullying will always be around.
When my son was young I taught him how to defend himself and he was never the victim of a bully.

The schools today have no discipline in them so they are also partly to blame but mostly it falls on the parents.

Parents today leave most of the responsibility of parenting to the education system because the school system has taken complete control of raising their children and they really don't realize what's happening.

http://www.domdedomdom.com/

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Comment from Leo on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T18:30:02Z

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Jug: you'd have to contact myspace customer support.

Leo

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Comment from Fred on 2008-05-28

2008-05-28T09:29:31Z

I'm only 21 so I speak from a kids point of view. But I still say to parents "if you don't understand a technology, don't let your kids have it" Simple, as in the case above, if you don't think you can protect (or monitor) them online, don't let them be online.
You wouldn't let your kids got to a strange town by themselves, so why let them got to a whole world where it is even easier to fall victim.

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Comment from Jug on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T05:06:36Z

Who do you contact for nudity pictures being sent to my grand kids on my space? I will not let any of them get on it any more.Please contact me to let me know.

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Comment from Fred Wortham on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T02:14:13Z

From the aforementioned article on scambusters.org (NOT attributed to the author of the article): "While bullying has always been an unfortunate reality..." Well, rape and murder are unfortunate realites, and we don't hesitate to punish those who perpetrate those horrific crimes.

I'm not saying we should send identified bullies to prison with hardened adult criminals (unless the bully, cyber- or otherwise, is an adult) but the more we accept bullying behavior, the more it will continue, and the worse it will get. There will be more tragedies, I promise you, unless we, at the very least, start sending these bullies (again, cyber- or otherwise) to a psychiatrist for a full evaluation. Not a school counselor, or a psychologist, but a true medical doctor that can evaluate a bully's behavior, perform a "psych" exam and recommend treatement. Hey, it just might "save the bully" from a life of criminal violence...

We must start treating bullying as the crime it is - if an adult perpetrated such acts against another adult, in many jurisdictions, that would constitute, at the very least, criminal harassment.

Before you ask, no, I was never bullied in middle school/junior high or high school (In my high school days, I weighed 200 pounds and had about 10 percent body fat - not exactly the classic bullying "target"). But I do see this as a complete travesty of humanity, and of justice. No kid who is bullied, online or at school, "deserves" it, and no one should have to go to school "living in fear". Get serious about it, get after the perpetrators, and it will start to become a manageable problem. Don't (which is more likely), and it will continue, or get worse. Imagine not punishing murderers or armed robbers.

Okay, end of my rant :|

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Comment from Leo on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T01:54:36Z

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Blocking kind of misses my point. While I agree that it can
be a tool, it's no substitute for responsible parenting.

Leo

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Comment from Rami El-Zein on 2008-05-27

2008-05-28T00:10:14Z

Hi, you have to check out the free filtering options offered by www.opendns.com. Im using it at home to block some site categories and also at the office by blocking sites that waste resources.

Highly recommended and remember, free :)

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Comment from Ken B on 2008-05-27

2008-05-27T22:48:33Z

Unfortunately, sometimes the parents don't want to get involved, just as they don't in "real life" bullying. My 11-year-old son has been the target of bullies (well, one in particular) at school, and the main bully's parents simply don't care. ("Boy will be boys" is their attitude. They're too focused on the new baby to care about their other son.) And, unfortunately, there's not much the school is able to do, since he's never done any of the expellable offenses.

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Comment from Mary on 2008-05-26

2008-05-26T12:49:12Z

Wow, you pushed a wrong button for me. You've just touched the tip of the iceberg as fas as I'm concerned. These are the same parents who let their kids run around in a restaurant or store with complete disregard for others. The same parents who think it's cute when their little "darling" tortures an animal. Or spray paints a wall, smashes a mailbox, etc. When I was growing up we called these kids JDs (juvenile delinquents.) They, and their parents, were held responsible for their behavior.

Something is wrong with a system that punishes a parent for spanking (not beating) a child, or for punishing a teacher who has to use force to defend him/herself against a knife wielding student. End of rant :-)

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Comment from Ron on 2008-05-25

2008-05-25T21:52:02Z

I too was bullied in school. I am now a parent and grandparent. It seems to me that the same "parents" who have children who bully in the real world are the same "parents" who turn out children who bully in the cyberworld.

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