Shutting mobile phone bullies out

In December 2008 Telenor Norway teamed up with the Red Cross and ChildMinder, an advisory unit for children and the media, to develop a free service that enables you to block text or multimedia messages from certain numbers.

Bully filter – easy to use, free of charge

Using the bully filter from Telenor Norway, you can easily blacklist mobile phone numbers and their holders from sending text or multimedia messages. The sender will receive an SMS warning that he or she has been blocked from sending messages to your child. The filter is easily activated by calling customer services, whereupon you can manage the blacklist through your online account. The service is free of charge.

Many children subjected to cyber-bullying

While mobile communications can help build relationships, it can also have unwanted side-effects. In a survey commissioned by Telenor, 85 per cent of Norwegian parents said that mobile phones and the internet make bullying more common among minors. Almost half of all children aged 10 to 15 said they had bullied others or knew someone who had.

Working with partners to change attitudes

In September 2009 a nationwide campaign Telenor, the Red Cross, ChildMinder and the Norwegian Media Authority are visiting lower secondary schools throughout Norway to talk about the challenges of digital bullying and how to prevent it. As a parent you can talk to your child about mobile use and the rules that apply.

More about the "Use you head" campaign

Read more about the bully filter and children’s mobile use here: (Norwegian pages)

http://www.telenor.no/privat/mobil/tipsognyheter/barnogsikkerhet.jsp