Tech Talk With Craig Peterson

http://www.liswiehlbooks.com

Lis Wiehl a Fox News Legal Analyst and Author joins Craig to discuss Cyber-bullying and how it has reached almost epidemic levels with teens. Studies indicate that the incidence of cyberbullying has quadrupled in just five years. Roughly 42 percent of kids say that they’ve been bullied online and only 1 in 10 will report it to a parent or trusted adult. The prevalence and seriousness of this relatively new form of bullying means that parents should be armed with the tools to know what to look for and how to prevent it.  

Signs to look for:
·     Withdrawal from normal routines and/or friends: No desire to hangout with friends, avoiding social activities, frequently waking up later that usual, loss of appetite, lack of emotion at home.  
·     Low self-esteem: Frequently cutting themselves down, magnified emotions, constantly apologizing.
·     Avoiding school: A bullied kid will usually want to avoid seeing the kids that are doing the bullying. Oftentimes, a bullied kid will plead with parents not to make them go to school or will find excuses to stay at home.
·     An unusual level of aggression: Increased reports from school that a child is involved in verbal or physical altercations and a higher

http://www.peacefirst.org

Eric Dawson the President and Co-Foundre of Peace First joins Craig to discuss how to address the challenges of youth violence and disengagement by preparing young children with the skills to be peacemakers. Peace First has successfully taught the critical skills of peacemaking (conflict resolution and civic engagement skills) to young people ages 3 – 14, providing training in 32 states and 23 countries. With extremely promising data (a 60% decrease in disruptive incidences at schools, 81% of students reporting they can walk away from a fight), the organization is exponentially increasing its reach and impact.

http://www.openet.com

Barry Marron the Marketing and Operations Manger at OpeNet joins Craig to discuss the Openet cyberbullying survey was conducted by Harris Interactive and incorporated feedback from more than 500 US teenage cell phone owners. To prevent cyberbullying issues, better visibility and controls are required and most service providers are offering these types of programs.

http://responsibility.verizon.com/online-safety/

Jack McArtney the Director of Corporate and Community Responsibility at Verizon joins Craig to discuss how to set up online safety measures and how Verizon works with parents to help protect their children. Verizon is at the forefront of supporting and innovating new solutions and policies in the field of online safety.

http://www.focusonthefamily/dadmatters

Roy Baldwin the Director of Parenting and Youth at Focus on the Family joins Craig to discuss the good news: Parents are still the #1 influencer in their child’s life. Know your kids…however; developmentally wait until your child is 13 for Social Media.  There are reasons why most social media channels have age ranges…abide by the guidelines.  If your child is pestering and pestering you about getting on Facebook before that time, they probably want to get on for all the wrong reasons.  Be intentional in teaching about healthy friendships and relationships.  Have a contract…establish boundaries and why.  This isn’t about control…this is about protecting the minds of and hearts of your children. Communication, communication, communication….know the signs of bullying.  Decrease in grades, seems sad or depressed, defensive or emotionally reactive, no longer wants to participate in activities, and steers away from certain people or situations…