Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 63 • As your kids get older, talk to them about hate sites. They will be more likely to recognize and avoid them if you teach them the history of racism and explain the strategies that these types of sites use. Help them identify certain symbols and content as hateful, such as swastikas or Nazi paraphernalia, offensive comments about race and sexual orientation or caricatures of ethnic or racial minorities. • Addressing peer pressure with tweens and teens can be difficult – sites like eBaum’s World and Newgrounds are hugely popular, so your kids may feel pressure from friends to visit them. To minimize this risk, discuss the following with your kids: • Explain that some images could permanently affect them. Young people often feel that “being grown up” means being able to watch anything, without showing their emotions.Teens will consume violent images to “see just how much they can handle”. Remind your kids that we cannot always erase images that we have seen from our memory. • Discuss images they have seen that they found disturbing – this will give them the chance to express themselves about these potentially traumatizing images and to “emotionally digest” what they’ve seen. • Explain to them if they find violent or hateful content disturbing, they are not alone. Research suggests that young people take more risks when they go online with their friends. Tell your kids that they are most likely not the only ones in their group that find these kinds of sites disturbing. By being vocal and clear about their feelings, they may avoid any potential stress caused by their refusal to look at the material – and they help peers who are feeling the same way. VIOLENT AND HATEFUL CONTENT ...continued from page 61
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