Our kids are connected to the world through the internet. It never leaves their hands due to the commonality of cell phones. More issues stemming from the cyber world are now filtering into our school. Bullying, Sexting, and Sexual Harrassment are some of the common issues that we see in the middle school counseling office. These can occur via text message, apps, or online gaming. These issues, in turn, are causing an upswing in mental health services.

Some advice for parents:

• Set up a monitoring app to let you know what your child is doing online.

• Set up a screen time so they cannot access the internet or use their phone at least one hour prior to bedtime. Do not allow them to have it all night.

• Block all sites and apps that are not age appropriate.

Burrell School District currently uses the BARK app to help keep our kids safe while using our network. It will report to us anything having to do with vulgarity, suicidal ideation, bullying, self-harm, drug use, etc...HMS averages about 1000 issues per month that must be reviewed.