The United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child (United Nations Children’s Fund, 1998)
identified adults as responsible for protecting children
from all forms of physical and mental violence,
injury, or abuse. Clearly, children and youths’ regular
and intense involvement in the cyber world and
the increase of cyber abuse signal an urgent call to
action for prevention of abuse and protection of
children and youths. Today’s young wired generation
increasingly relies on the Internet and other
forms of communication technology for entertainment,
information, personal help and advice, and,
most important, social connection. It is critical that
adults acknowledge, understand, and accept the
Internet and communication technology as a viable
and real means of interacting for children and
youths. Although most online interactions in which
children and youths engage are neutral or positive,
the risks must be recognized and addressed. Education
and intervention must be targeted to children
and adults, in particular parents and teachers.
Prevention and intervention programs that inform
children of safety and risks are critical but insufficient,
because children and youths require help
to decrease their risky behaviors. It is essential to
develop and evaluate education and prevention or
intervention programs to determine their effect in
changing children and adolescents’ online behaviors.
A focus must be on facilitating children and
youths’ ability to seek help with cyber abuse and express
concerns to their parents, teachers, and other
authorities. This means, for example, that parents
must not automatically respond with such actions
as revoking Internet privileges, which to the child
or youth may feel like a disconnection from their
social world. Rather, parents and other adults must
be prepared to listen to the children and youths’
accounts of their cyber predicaments and to help
them problem solve their situation. Thus, research
is needed to identify factors that foster and inhibit
disclosure by children and youths to adults of their
experiences of cyber abuse. In addition, the factors
that make children and youths more vulnerable to
experiencing problematic online interactions and
abuse must be identified.