When Marlize Holtzhausen’s pregnant sister was attacked in her home, in front of her two-year-old son, then kidnapped, beaten, raped and left for dead – the whole family was severely traumatised. She struggled to get help and the physical damage caused her to go into labour while she was stranded far from home. Time was…
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How do you know that the person you are chatting to online is actually who they claim to be? The Internet has made it so easy for people to connect with other people all over the world. Most people who create online profiles, do so honestly and with the intention to connect with friends, family,…
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As parents, you are responsible if your child bullies anyone in real life or online. You could be held liable for damages and costs incurred by the victim. Parents need to teach children to treat others the same way they would like to be treated. You also need to model the ideal behaviour you’d like…
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Don’t underestimate the impact of cyberbullying on your child. Take it very seriously. Don’t play the incident down. To your child this is a very big moment in their lives. Explain to your child that this is not his fault. There is nothing anyone can do or say to make him deserve to be bullied…
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Usually, the parents are the last to know that their children are being bullied online. Many children keep this secret from their families and suffer in silence due to the embarrassment and shame involved. To find out more about cyberbullying and how it is different from physical bullying, please see the article here. Signs that…
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Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. With children, it is the communication or posting by one or more minors using cyber-technology or digital media designed to hurt, threaten, embarrass, annoy, blackmail, or otherwise target another minor. Unlike physical bullying, cyberbullying…
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You may wonder why anyone would go to extreme lengths to target your child online. Why would international cybercrime syndicates create elaborate email, gaming, and chat scams just to get information from your child? Crimes against children fall under these primary categories: Sexual abuse and exploitation. They are soliciting and distributing child pornography. Human trafficking.…
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The internet has changed the way we do things. Things we used to do in the real world are now done on the internet. We use the internet for banking, communication, entertainment, education, business and more. We even date online. During the Covid-19 related lockdowns, we moved more of our lives onto the Internet to…
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I called my children over and over and they did not come. I called louder and louder and they stayed fixated on their games. So, I switched off the Wi-Fi. They came running immediately. “MOM! The Internet is off!” I said “Yes, I know. I was calling you and you didn’t come, so I switched…
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