Warning: New Danger Onlineby Myra Turner | More from this Blogger 03 Jul 2007 09:55 AM Sometimes I wonder if our kids have too much time on their hands. Seems like when they do they find something inappropriate to get into. I was reading in the current issue of Good Housekeeping about a rising and disturbing new trend among kids. Seems like some kids are now videotaping their fights and then posting the footage online. What's just as disturbing is that some kids are so starved for attention that they are faking the fights. I love the Internet. I think it's the greatest invention since Starbucks but unfortunately, it has created a wealth of problems including identity theft, cyber bullying, predators, spammers flooding our inboxes and more. On the plus side, without the Internet I'm sure I probably wouldn't be working from home today. However, as parents, we have to keep a close eye on what our kids are doing (and who they are doing it with). Although these kids obviously think this is somehow fun, they need to realize that they can get into serious legal trouble. Even if your child is not the one fighting, he can be charged with aiding and abetting if he helps in anyway, such as when doing the actual filming. If he fights, he can be charged with assault. What's troubling is that it's so easy for kids to get access to video equipment. Most digital cameras have video options. The one I have does and it takes amazing videos with great clarity. This is just one more way for bullies to make themselves feel good while damaging their victims self-esteem. This is an important issue that parents need to be aware of. When you talk to your kids about bullies and online safety, make sure you don't leave this new trend out. If you find that your child has been a victim, report the incident to the authorities. Also, discourage your kids from viewing these horrible videos. Supply and demand- as long as kids are interested in seeing this type of foolishness, someone's going to continue making the videos. See also: Learn more about Myra Turner  I'm a proud mid-life single mom with an active seven-year-old son, Tyler. Relevantparenting tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags bullies, online danger, videotaping brawls Discuss this article
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