This vital, sensitive guide explains the serious issues children face online and how they are impacted by them on a developmental, neurological, social, mental health and wellbeing level. Covering technologies used by children aged two through to adulthood, it offers parents and professionals clear, evidence-based information about online harms and their effects and what they can do to support their child should they see, hear or bear witness to these events online. Catherine Knibbs, specialist advisor in the field, explains the issues involved when using online platforms and devices in family, social and educational settings. Examined in as non-traumatising a way as possible, the book covers key topics including cyberbullying; cyberstalking; pornography; online grooming; sexting; live streaming; vigilantism; suicide and self-harm; trolling and e-harassment; bantz, doxing and social media hacking; dares, trends and life-threatening activities; information and misinformation; and psychological games. It also explores the complex overlap of offline and online worlds in children and young people’s lives. Offering guidance and proactive and reactive strategies based in neuroscience and child development, it reveals how e-safety is not one size fits all and must consider individual children’s and families’ vulnerabilities. Online Harms and Cybertrauma will equip professionals and parents with the knowledge to support their work and direct conversations about the online harms that children and young people face. It is essential reading for those training and working with children in psychological, educational and social work contexts, as well as parents, policy makers and those involved in development of online technologies.

This sensitive guide for carers and professionals working with children and young people explains the serious issues of sexual content and harm that children face online. Covering technologies used by children aged two through to adulthood, it offers clear, evidence-based information about sexual-based online harm, its effects and what adults can do to support children should they see, hear or bear witness to these events online. Catherine Knibbs, specialist advisor in the field, explains the issues involved when using online platforms and devices in family, social and educational settings. The guide offers an accessible explanation of how online harm impacts developmental, neurological and social development, as well as young people’s mental health and well-being. Examined in as non-traumatising a way as possible, the book covers key topics, including consent, pornography, online grooming, sexting, live streaming, revenge porn, ASD sexuality and gender, and vigilantism. Offering guidance and proactive and reactive strategies based on neuroscience and child development, it shows how e-safety is not one-size-fits-all and must consider the vulnerabilities of individual children and families. Children and Sexual-Based Online Harms will equip professionals and carers with the knowledge to support their work and to direct conversations about the online harms that children and young people face. It is essential reading for those training and working with children in psychological, educational and social work contexts, as well as parents, policy makers and those involved in the development of online technologies.

Cyberbullying and Online Harms identifies online harms and their impact on young people, from communities to campuses, exploring current and future interventions to reduce and prevent online harassment and aggression. This important resource brings together eminent international researchers whose work shines a light on social issues such as bullying/cyberbullying, racism, homophobia, hate crime, and social exclusion. The text collates into one volume current knowledge and evidence of cyberbullying and its effect on young people, facilitating action to protect victims, challenge perpetrators and develop policies and practices to change cultures that are discriminatory and divisive. It also provides a space where those who have suffered online harms and who have often been silenced in the past may have a voice in telling their experiences and recounting interventions and policies that helped them to create safer spaces in which to live in their community, study in their educational institutions and socialise with their peer group. This is essential reading for researchers, academics, undergraduates and postgraduates in sociology, psychology, criminology, media and communication studies, as well as practitioners and policymakers in psychology, education, sociology, criminology, psychiatry, counselling and psychotherapy, and anyone concerned with the issue of bullying, cyberbullying and online harms among young people in higher education.

The influence of technology on hobbies and leisure time is quickly becoming a regular part of daily life, but how much do we really understand about how or why we’re using it, and its impact on our health? This easy-to-read guide is designed to provide all of the support needed to understand why we use technology the way we do, and how we can recognise when interventions are needed to help master our own technology use. Following an effective Q&A structure and offering a valuable ‘dip in and out’ approach, this book provides expert guidance on all the burning questions related to our technology use, with particular support for those struggling to regulate their own gaming and social media use. It focuses on the science and avoids scaremongering by simply addressing the bits you need to understand, what you can do about your behaviours, and how this can improve your productivity, mental health, sleep, and diet. Helping readers and their families take back control and feel better informed about the future use of technology in our everyday lives, this book is a must read for anyone wanting expert guidance on the issues that matter most.

How can adults keep children safe and healthy online now and in the future? How can we thrive alongside technology? This highly accessible book unpacks the latest psychological research, attachment theory and neurobiology to offer parents and professionals insight into how technology impacts children’s development and how to navigate our lives online. Catherine Knibbs shares her extensive experience to reveal what we know about human behaviour in cyberspace, and particularly that of children using devices, consoles and social media platforms. She offers deeper understanding of how and why children engage online and shows parents and professionals how, rather than being overwhelmed by the dangers and pathologies of cyberspace, we can learn to support children in using technology healthily. She covers key topics including social media use and abuse, impact of screen time, issues around gaming and extreme behaviours online. By the end of this book you will be able to understand your child better, and have an understanding of what is happening in their minds, brains and bodies in relation to the technological and digital world. Children, Technology and Healthy Development is for all parents, and professionals in psychology, education, social care and the police who are concerned with understanding how we support children in an online world. It will also be valuable reading for those in tech design interested in the impact of technology on the developing human.

This highly accessible book aims to offer parents and professionals insight into our journey with technology, providing a research and evidence-based approach to understanding the why of human behaviour in cyberspace, and particularly that of children using devices, consoles and social media platforms.