Children are increasingly being exposed to cyberbullying often leading to depression, anxiety, and in some cases, suicide. Like many aspects of childhood, bullying has moved from the playground to online through chats and social media. In comparison to verbal bullying, a research study showed that adolescents who reported cyberbullying were 11.5 times more likely to have suicidal ideation. 

Cyberbullying and suicide have become two for the most serious issues facing children. But how can schools help support their student and the growing concerns they face? Web filtering is a great tool for detecting cyberbullying and suicide attempts before they happen. It can be used in schools to help identify those who are harming others or at considerable risk of harming themselves. 

Proactive Web Filtering Detects Cyberbullying and Suicide 

Basic internet filters cannot protect students alone. The web is full of dangerous content that is easily accessible to kids, so a proactive web filter should be used because of the high risk of harm that inappropriate Internet content poses to young people. A proactive filter uses advanced technology to prevent children from accessing inappropriate material on the internet, such as cyberbullying and suicide encouragement sites.  

While internet filters may help schools identify the content you want them exposed to, it does not provide much protection against cyberbullying because there isn’t any real monitoring taking place behind the scenes. This type of software only shows you what websites are visited but does not tell you what is being said over instant messaging or social media platforms. A proactive web filter is better than a reactive web filter because it has access to more information about the user’s online behavior, thereby allowing it to make better decisions about what needs to be blocked or allowed through the computer at any given time. 

Keyword Filters are Not Enough 

Keyword filters are not enough to prevent you child from encountering numerous dangers online; a web filter uses advanced technology to prevent them from accessing inappropriate material on the internet, protecting them from cyberbullying and self-harm content.  

A keyword filter may block “suicide,” but may not find “suicidal”.   Keyword filters look for an exact match, so misspellings or slang terms frequently get through these kinds of filters.   

Netsweeper Web Filtering Detects Cyberbullying and Suicide 

As a school leader, make sure you have the appropriate tools to filter your student’s online use. Netsweeper goes beyond the static lists of basic internet filters. nFilter leverages advanced AI to block millions of harmful websites to protect students on school devices. Real-time, comprehensive filtering, reporting, and alerting of online and offline activity creates a safe, secure learning environment while safeguarding students from inappropriate content like, suicide, self-harm, and cyberbullying. 

To Find Out More 

A proactive web filter is the best way to protect children from cyberbullying, suicide and other dangers that may be lurking on the internet. With a proactive web filter, like Netsweeper in place, you will feel confident knowing that kids are safe while they use their computers at home or school. 

To learn more about students’ mental health and how you can support them, download our free whitepapers: