Cyberstalking: Tips to Help Avoid Unwanted Attention Online

Is your child really friends with everybody linked to their Facebook profile page?  It is possible that somebody is mildly cyberstalking your child, and it could turn serious if not addressed.  Here are some quick tips to help your child prevent unwanted attention on Facebook.

-          Review your child’s friend list with your child. Are there any connections that he/she no longer speaks to, or was never very friendly with in the first place? Remove any connections that are not actual friends.

-          Modify your child’s chat options.  You can prevent a friend from chatting with your child by putting them on a Friend List, and then choosing to go offline with that Friend List.  Visit the Facebook Help Center for more information.

-          Delete applications your child no longer uses. Every app your child adds (like FarmVille, etc.) has access to his/her personal information.  These apps are not required to follow the same rules that apply to Facebook’s privacy controls, so delete away.

For more information on cyberstalking, read SafetyWeb's resource article here.