This is how you can protect your teen from cyberstalking 

Stalking or predatory behaviour is a common cause of concern for many parents, be it in real life or virtually. What makes online or cyberstalking more worrisome is that youngsters tend to share a lot of their lives on social media. This accessibility arms stalkers and predators with information about their victims, helping them decide their actions accordingly. Such online dangers can have several negative effects on your teen’s mental health. Here is what you need to know about cyberstalking, and how you can protect your teen from it. 

Protect your youngster 
Cyberstalking is when someone uses different forms of technology such as social media, text messages, phone calls, emails, etc. repeatedly to harass and pester someone. Essentially, it is an invasion of privacy and is closely related to real-life stalking. The anonymity of the internet makes it easy for predators to target teens by leaving minimal to absolutely zero traces. They may send unsolicited images, tag them in random posts, create fake accounts under their names, etc. Here is what you can do to protect your kids from online predators. 

Tell your teen to maintain some level of privacy online 
All social media platforms have privacy settings. Remind your teen to take advantage of these. For example, on Instagram if the user chooses to have a private account, only his followers will be able to view his profile and photos. Moreover, it can be a safe idea to avoid filling in personal details such as birthdate, place of residence, etc. online. 

Remind her to change her passwords regularly 
This is an important safety measure that is constantly overlooked by many. Remind your teen to change her passwords frequently, and also to keep a track of the new ones. It is risky business if someone gets access to her accounts, as it can be used for identity theft, to post unchecked content, etc.  

Teach him to set boundaries online 
Just like setting certain boundaries in real life, it is important to do so online as well. Teach your kid to avoid texting and following random, obscure accounts. Many teens feel guilty of blocking certain users and/ or phone numbers. Stalkers use this as a way to coerce their victims into responding further. Remind him that it is absolutely okay to block accounts, and also report them.