Social Media Safety, Parent Information Series

A professor of psychology at Bridgwater State University will answer parent questions about supervising children online in a two-part series organized by the Medfield Public Schools.

The parent information series was arranged well in advance of the recent incident in which a Medfield teen was reported missing, after she was seen on video leaving the town library with a man she apparently spoke with online. But it will address some of the concerns parents may have about how to protect their children from issues including bullying and cyber-bullying.

The first session is at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at Blake Middle School. The second session is also at 7 p.m, on Oct. 1 at Blake Middle School. Registration is not required but parents may submit questions, in advance, and anonymously, through a link available on the Blake Middle School and Dale Street School websites.

The sessions are aimed at parents of 4th to 8th graders, and will feature Dr. Elizabeth Englander, a professor of psychology and the director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University. The center was founded with the purpose of understanding and reducing bullying and cyber-bullying.

Part I: Dr. Englander will answer your questions about supervising and guiding your children through their use of social media, as well as other concerns related to cyber-bullying.

Part II: Have you been on Snapchat? Twitter? AskFM? Instagram? Did you know that kids can text without a phone? Find out more. An evening for parents with Medfield's Director of Technology, Eoin O'Corcora and Technology Integration Specialist, Diane Horvath. Learn more about these popular social media trends, how to find and use them, and how to monitor your child's usage.