Close to half of Canadian parents worry their child may be a cyberbully

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – How well do you know what’s happening in your kid’s life? Would you know if your child was being bullied or if your kid was the bully?

A survey from Protecting Canadian Families Online suggests 44 per cent of Canadian parents are concerned their child could be cyberbullying others. With high-profile incidents like the Amanda Todd case, it has become a serious concern.

Dr. Wendy Craig is the scientific co-director of PREVNet, which deals with bullying prevention in Canada. She says online, we see young people acting in ways they never would if they were face-to-face with someone because they are allowed to be anonymous.

Craig believes parents need to have a conversation with their children about appropriate online behaviour at an early age. She says that is not happening in most homes in our province.

The survey found by the age of eight, 70 per cent of parents have discussed bullying with their children, but only 33 per cent speak with them about cyberbullying.

Craig says as soon as kids can access the Internet, parents need to have a talk with them about safe and positive online behaviour.

The survey found 95 per cent of moms and dads in BC think their child would tell them if they were being cyberbullied. However, Craig believes the reality is that most kids speak up because they don’t think their parents would know what to do about it.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today