A ‘handbook for parents’ launched during the Telangana State Police annual press meet on Sunday at the Telangana State Police Headquarters.
Amid rising cases of cybercrime and bullying involving teenagers and children, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has come up with a guidebook for parents.
Launched during the Telangana State Police annual press meet on Sunday, the handbook provides insights and resources to assist parents in enabling parental controls on different social media and gaming platforms, encouraging discussions about online safety and identifying and tackling cyberbullying.
At a time when incessant online trolling is taking a toll on teen mental health, police urged parents to document evidence of harassment, such as screenshots and utilise in-app reporting features to tackle abusive behaviour.
Parents were advised to watch out for behavioural changes, including mood swings, withdrawal or secrecy, and to escalate the matter to local law enforcement or cybercrime units through the 1930 helpline and National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) if the harassment escalates.
Online safety
Establishing age-appropriate rules that change with child’s age and maturity, device curfews (setting a cut-off time for internet usage), screen-free zones (ensuring certain areas in the house are free from technology) and open dialogue were among the suggestions. Parents are also encouraged to lead by example, demonstrating responsible technology use to instil positive habits in their children.
Citing risks like cyberbullying and harassment, exposure to inappropriate content, privacy breaches and identity theft, the guidebook suggested activating ‘Family Centre’ on Instagram to manage comment filters and privacy settings. Parents can also enable YouTube Kids’ to restrict content based on age groups alongside tracking their viewing history.
With more offensive and defamatory content being posted on X (formerly Twitter), the police advised to enable the sensitive content filter, mute blocked words and restrict DMs to limit messaging options.
In the case of Snapchat, the police said, “disappearing messages may create a false sense of security”. Parents can invite their teen to join the ‘Family Center’, which allows them to monitor their friends and manage privacy settings. A step-by-step guide to activate parental controls on gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation was also shared.
Legal protection
In addition to practical advice, the guidebook offered insights into the key legal protections, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, Section 64 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitha (BNS) adressing rape, sexual assault and digital exploitation and the Information Technology Act, 2000. These laws criminalise offences such as child pornography, online grooming (or any attempts to engage children in inappropriate or harmful activities), non-consensual capturing or sharing of private images and cyberstalking. By familiarising themselves with these laws, parents can better advocate for their children’s safety and respond effectively to threats, the police said.
Published – December 29, 2024 07:37 pm IST
