TG police launches parental guidebook amid rising cybercrime against children
The Hindu
Telangana Cyber Security Bureau launches guidebook for parents to protect children from cyberbullying and online threats.
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.
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