Finding viral videos or stories of young people taking part in dangerous, sometimes deadly, behavior is never a difficult thing to do.
Scary activities -- like car surfing or snorting condoms -- are spreading across social media as young people continue to challenge others to try.
Parents shouldn't think that just because their child is a good student or athlete or involved in student government they are immune to peer pressure or reckless behavior.
So, how can parents keep their teens safe and prevent them from taking part?
Consistent communication with your child is key when it comes to preventing dangerous behavior, Kimberly Cabral said.
Cabral is the founder of Mothers Awareness on School Age Kids, an organization designed to help kids and parents by providing education, resources and programs to promote a healthy childhood.
What parents can do
“We have to as parents help our children understand their self-esteem, build it and nurture it,” said Cabral.
A mother herself, Cabral believes communication between parents and children is critical. The more you understand what your child is doing and take an active role in their lives the better.
“The biggest thing parents can do is talk to their kids,” Cabral said. “Children are going to make mistakes, it’s how we as parents respond to that.”
Child experts also recommend discussing the videos or photos posted and the dangerous consequences associated with attempting or posting that type of behavior.
“It comes back down to self-esteem in teens, we live in this world where it’s all about the relevancy of your last post,” Cabral said. “I think the biggest thing as a parent is not to be fear-based from all of this information but look at it as an opportunity to talk with your children about these things.”
Resources to help
For parents struggling to keep up with everything your kids are doing, saying, seeing and hearing, carefulparents.com is a good resource to help navigate parenthood.
The website lists teen slang terms, helps understand the meaning behind song lyrics, teen apps that could be inappropriate, and dangerous and disturbing teen trends.
Cabral’s organization, MASK, is another great resource for parents.
The organization’s website maskmatters.org provides information to help both mothers and fathers.
