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1 in 4 children are sexually harassed online by their own friends
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Modern youngsters checking their Facebook and Twitter feeds arent just bullied by strangers they meet online, but their friends, too. - photo by Herb Scribner
Modern youngsters checking their Facebook and Twitter feeds arent just bullied by strangers they meet online, but their friends, too.

In fact, one in four children have been sexually harassed online by their friends, a new study found.

The study from Michigan State University found that girls and children with low self-control were more likely to be sexually harassed online. Overall, 24 percent of all the studys participants suffered from sexual harassment, Yahoo! News reported.

And a lot of that harassment came from a child's close friends, with many youngsters saying that their friends pressured them into talking about sex, according to the study, which surveyed 439 children from middle school and high school between the ages of 12 and 19.

"This is not to downplay the danger of paedophiles acting online, but it does draw attention to the potential threat of child sexual victimisation by the people our kids are closest to, the people they spend the greatest amount of time with online, Thomas J. Holt, an associate professor at MSU, told Yahoo! News.

Online sexual harassment has been a major issue for American parents in recent years with the rise of technology, which has also led to an increase in bullying, too. Sexual harassment may be even more common than traditional bullying since it can be done online with words, images and videos, TeensHealth explained.

Such gestures as making sexual jokes, writing sexual comments or sexting over messenger apps can constitute as sexual harassment, TeensHealth explained.

For the person who is being targeted, though, it doesn't make much difference if something is called bullying or harassment, TeensHealth noted. This kind of behavior is upsetting no matter what it's called. Like anyone who's being bullied, people who are sexually harassed can feel threatened and scared and experience a great deal of emotional stress.

Many modern parents have tried to stay in touch with what their youngster does online. A new report from the Pew Research Center found that about 60 percent of parents check what websites their teen visits and look at their child's social media profiles, which are often an indicator of social interactions with friends online.

Other parents will also use parental controls to keep their teen from friending someone they havent met in person, the Pew report said.

But the aforementioned MSU study found that certain parental controls online didnt help these Internet users avoid the sexual harassment issues.

That's why Holt of MSU suggested parents try to talk to their children about sexual harassment online to help curb the issues.

Parents need to have that talk with their kids about what they are doing online and what people are asking them to do online," Holt told Yahoo! News. That kind of open dialogue is one of the best things they can do to minimise the risk."

Part of that dialogue requires parents to learn about technology and ask their children for help understanding it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parents should also ask their children on a daily basis whether or not they used the Internet, and, if they did, what websites they visited.

Parents may also want to lead by example by showing their children smart Internet practices, and talking to their children about what responsible Internet users do online.

For all ages, emphasize that everything sent over the Internet or a cell phone can be shared with the entire world, so it is important they use good judgment in sending messages and pictures and set privacy settings on social media sites appropriately, the AAP explained.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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