Bullying; Parents Must Teach Children to Wisely Use Social Media
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11 April 2019 12:29 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Social media has become a part of children’s daily life nowadays. Unfortunately, many kids wrongfully utilize it due to lack of education from the surrounding community, particularly parents. As a result, social networking sites often used as bullying media.
A child psychologist, Vera Itabiliana Hadiwidjojo, asserted that parents must build awareness on using the public network to their offsprings to prevent bullying acts.
“Children must be taught that social media is a public platform even though they access it through their personal gadget,” said Vera to Antara in Jakarta, Wednesday, April 10.
Parents, Vera continued, must lead kids to acknowledge media platforms as a learning center wherein various character of people, both good and bad, exists. Therefore, children will be careful in using social networking sites.
Read also: Jokowi Asks Police Firmly Handling #JusticeForAudrey Case
Vera further demanded parents refrain from giving physical sanction should they fail to call for discussion with their child.
“Such a physical discipline will not bring expected result. In fact, children may get scared and confused why they cannot use social media hastily,” she added.
When a child falls victim of cyberbullying, as faced by a junior high student in Pontianak that the case gained public spotlight through #JusticeForAudrey, parents could ask them to shut down their account.
“The wisest thing to do is never reply. If you reply [bullying message], that means you will be the same as the bullying perpetrator,” Vera said.
Parents, she suggested, could record cyberbullying acts against their child on social media by taking a screenshot or others as evidence when they later need it.
ANTARA