Did you know?
Canadians can now buy insurance to protect themselves and their loved ones against cyberbullying.
With Canada having one of the highest rates of cyberbullying in the world according to a global Comparitech survey, this is good news for parents everywhere.
Thanks to its partnership with BOXX Insurance, a Toronto-based firm specializing in cybersecurity and insurance, the new cyberbullying protection called Cyberboxx Home Edition is available through the Canadian Broker Network (CBN), a national network of independently owned insurance brokers.
“Many individuals and families are unaware of the digital harm their families are exposed to, says CBN President Lorie Phair. “The business world has access to tools and insurance coverage to respond to and recover from cyber threats and reputational abuse and now, individuals and families can be protected too.”
Cyberboxx Home Edition combines insurance coverage for cyberbullying, cyber ransom, online fraud and other services, such as online credit monitoring and access to the Hackbusters 24/7 emergency hotline.
“Technology should enable our children to flourish and it should be our goal to keep it that way,” Phair says.
5 WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR KIDS FROM CYBERBULLYING
- Educate them – Teach children not to post personal information, how to set privacy settings on social accounts, and think before they post anything that could be used to harm/hurt their reputation.
- Monitor them – It’s okay to monitor your child’s online activity and set rules for screen time and online behaviour.
- Beef up their digital security – Help them set strong passwords and teach them to never share passwords. To help you safeguard their devices and online activity, use parental controls like protective software that detects harmful language and alerts/gives parents access to view suspicious content sent to your child.
- Encourage positive social skills – Having good social and communication skills and a strong sense of belonging can buffer bullying and even deter kids from bullying others. Help prevent bullying by teaching and modeling behaviour that encourages listening, building relationships, appreciating inclusion and diversity and different cultures and perspectives.
- Have a reporting plan – Teach your child who they can reach out to when they feel they’re being bullied online, even if they’d feel more comfortable reporting the situation to someone other than yourself. Teach them the importance of not just standing by if a friend is being bullied, but to report it.
Cyberboxx Home Edition is available through members of the Canadian Broker Network.
For details of the brokerage nearest you, contact us.
Additional sources: cfchildren.org; netnanny.com
