WINNIPEG — Cyberbullying surpassed drugs and alcohol as the top concern among parents in a recent online survey.
The online survey on parental worries, done for Primus using LegerWeb, targeted Canadians with parents of children between the ages of 8 and 16 years old.
The results aren’t surprising for Linda Mercier, who has a 17-year-old daughter.
“It’s a concern and there are lots of things on your phone that you can use, like Instagram and whatnot, and it is kind of getting a little bit much,” said Mercier.
Her daughter, Sophia, was cyberbullied on Twitter.
“I have heard of lots of people even writing things about me there,” Sophia said. “Just a lot of hate and stuff that people would never say to your face but they can say it behind your back.”
The survey also suggests one in 10 parents admitted knowing their child or one of their friends has received images or messages intended to hurt someone.
Parents said they struggle to make sure they address the issue properly with their children.
“The only thing I do worry is maybe not having explained it enough,” said Sandy Ross, who has a 15-year-old daughter, Alia.
Alia downloaded an app that quickly became a way for others to bully her.
“I didn’t know who it was but they would just tell me some things they were afraid to say to me in person — that they don’t like me as a person or things to put me down,” said Alia, who eventually deleted the app and told others to do the same. “I knew it wasn’t a big deal if I didn’t let it bother me.”
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection says parents should bring up online safety frequently with children starting at a young age.
“This is a very large part, if not the most significant part, of kids lives today and how they connect online, and we have to be integrating that into our daily conversations not only about how they should be treated but treating others,” said Signy Arnason, who is the director of cybertip.ca.
For more information about how you can have this discussion with you child click here.
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