Chicago TV host Dr. Laura Berman spoke out about the dangers of Snapchat after the tragic loss of her 16-year-old son who met a drug dealer online. The tragedy highlights how crucial it is for our children to say something if they notice anything out of the ordinary.
When you are not sure what to do, parents and students alike are encouraged to reach out to their school counselors, social workers, family doctor or other trusted adult.
In the meantime, here is some useful guidance with ideas for what you can do when your child confides in you about concerns they have for a friend or classmate posting disturbing messages or showing signs of troubling behavior.
Tell your child they did the right thing by coming to you. Sometimes problems are too big for teens to manage on their own so it’s important to get an adult and/or a professional involved. Ask your child how they would like to proceed. Do they want you to coach them through the situation or to take a more active role? Assess the level of danger. Tell them that if there is concern of harm (to self or others), you must step in and notify the parents, school or another trusted adult.
Suggest they share their concerns with their friend. Depending on the issue, you may start by encouraging your child to approach the friend out of care and concern. If there is a group of friends, they can approach the friend together. If the friend is not receptive, you may need to coach your child on ways to get an adult involved. This could mean reaching out to the friend’s parents out of concern for their child, or accompanying the friend to a school counselor or social worker to start a conversation. See below for additional resources that offer help.
Provide positive reinforcement that your child is being a good friend even if their friend may not appreciate it in the moment.
If you are a parent who receives a call from one of your child’s friends, know that they are coming from a place of concern. If you are open and take what they say seriously, they will be more willing to share more details about what they’ve seen and observed.
It’s not one 60-minute conversation.
It’s 60 one-minute conversations.
