Before Giving Your Children a Mobile Phone, Advice About Phone Safety is a Must

Like all advice we give our teenagers, psychologists say that before we hand them a mobile phone it might be a good idea to talk to them about phone safety measures and the dangers of sexting.

According to experts, parental advice regarding sexting should ideally begin before middle school or just before they get their mobile phones.

Even though such occurrences may be rare among teens, one disturbed child can begin a dangerous trend among peers. Dr. Susan Lipkins, a psychologist who specializes in school conflict, said, "They're acting out, needing attention, and there may be some reason. There may be something in the child's life where they have already been exposed to sex, either by seeing things or hearing things they shouldn't, or perhaps being abused. One child who acts out will be the one with the problem, and the others who are watching may follow."

Just like we advice children to protect them against child abuse, parents can advice teens not to take a picture of anything private or send their name or any identifying information. Ideally parents must also check the phone and be able to read texts, see photos and have the passwords to apps used by the children.

It is important to establish some rules before handing them the phone and then periodically check if the kid is following the advice.



Source: Medindia