to think a 10 year old wouldn't be able to set a Facebook account up and bully someone on it?

[Scratty]

DS isn’t particularly smart with technology, he does have an iPad that has parental controls, etc.

We also have a downstairs computer.

DS (at the age of 10 - not amazing at technology) couldn’t do that, right? I don’t know many 10 year olds. He says he hasn’t, but someone is saying he has.

Thanks.

[Stargirl82]

You are being very naive. If you are searching his name on fb and getting little info it's because you aren't his friend and he will have set up privacy settings. You need to log in as him, however you must have as you can read messages? People can put as much or as little on their profiles as they please. Contact fb and explain a profile has been set up in his name and as he is only 10 would they kindly shut the account down.

[Scratty]

Is it? I’d honestly not know where to start with setting up a new email.

[Scratty]

I can’t read his messages. The parent provided them.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

It is possible yournds has done this,@Scratty - but it is equally possible that someone else who knows both him and the victim of the messages has used your son's details to create a FB account, so that the bullying can't be traced back to them.

[Stargirl82]

I'm a teacher and we teach coding in year 2, age 6/7 so I'm it will be incredibly easy to set up an account and follow online instructions!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

...your ds... not yournds. Sorry.

[MycatsaPirate]

As advised, check his browsing history and see if he has kept his account logged in.

If it definitely isn't him then report the account to facebook.

[Detentioncontent]

To set up a free Gmail it's literally.

First name last name
Date of birth
Email address you want
Password

[Bruceishavingfish]

Setting up and email is easy too.

Just because you would find it hard means nothing.

Have you checked the history and looked for FB or an email provider?

Contact facebook and tell them someone is impersonating your son.

[LavenderDoll]

Check Internet history
A 10 year old could definitely set up a Facebook page

[Detentioncontent]

Kids do sound MUCH older when they talk with mates.
Check history although mine knew how to delete.

[Sashkin]

You wouldn’t know how to set up a new email?

Go onto gmail.com, and press the “create new account” button. That’s it. Same with Facebook, but it then asks for your email address and DOB. It really isn’t difficult.

[Tilapia]

Ok, if the account is in his name and has sent messages to someone he knows it can’t be a coincidence.

So either it’s him, or it’s a set up and someone is deliberately pretending to be him in order to get him into trouble.

The former seems more likely to me, but the latter is possible too.

[Toffeelatteplease]

Your son says it wasn’t him, and presumably you know whether he is a liar or not

Every kids does stupid things and tries to cover it up on occasion. Doesn't make them a bad kid. But you really can't always tell when someone is lying

Yes a 10 year old could probably quite easily set up a Facebook account. They can be a victim of bullying eg get their picture pulled and a fake facebook set up by someone trying to get them in trouble.

So I would be opening the conversation that if DS if he got himself into a mess on the internet ever it's a good idea to own up and get adult help to sort it out.

Id be asking for the person who screenshot the messages for a link to the Facebook account.

I'd be investigated the Facebook account myself. Does it actually exist. Does it look like you would expect a Facebook account to look. Does it have any of your child's friends on it.

Check the browser history. Your not just looking for Facebook. Your looking for ekail providers or where there maybe gaps in the browser history, it where he could be using it incognito or with the history deleted. Shouldn't happen but worth a check.

Check the inbuilt email app isn't connecting to a real accout.

Check the stored passwords if you can (easier on pc)

Having done this in would place the onus on whoever provided the information on the first place

[CountDuckulaTheSqueaky]

DD's 10 and has never used Facebook. I realise that we're quite an unusual family on MN, the only internet access we have at home is my phone, she's never on Facebook on her tablet when we're somewhere with free WiFi. She's either on Roblox, Lightseekers or Netflix.

[Pennywhistle]

Scratty setting up a new email is about as difficult as setting up an MN account.

Even if your DS didn’t do this, you need to be far more aware of his tech use and abilities.

As for this account, ask Fb to close.

[Toffeelatteplease]

Posted too early

Having done this in would place the onus on whoever provided the information on the first place to provide further.

[AlternativeTentacle]

get the parent to send a message back, whilst you have control of the account, and if it doesnt pop up in your son's messenger then someone has set up the account in his name.

[Justanothernameonthepage]

Check browser history for email account pages. If there are any, go to the Gmail/whatever page and see if it's auto log in.
A 10 year old would be able to do FB, but doesn't mean he has. I'd want to know why they thought it was him if there is no evidence. (FB in name isn't evidence).
I'd also want to ask school to discuss online bullying & safety.

[Pennywhistle]

Count my 10 yos haven’t used Fb either. That doesn’t mean they aren’t capable.

[Bruceishavingfish]

DD's 10 and has never used Facebook. I realise that we're quite an unusual family on MN,

I dont think thats unusal..my 13 dorsnt have facebook.

That doesnt mean she couldnt set one up without me knowing though. Unless you are watching every minute.

[Toffeelatteplease]

Actually don't go back to the other parent. Head into the school. Nothing on the Facebook account would seem fishy too me but that could just be decent privacy settings these days

[DistanceCall]

It's possible that someone else set up an account using his name to place the blame on him.

That doesn't mean that it wasn't him. You need to check his iPad and the browsing history on all your devices.

[JWrecks]

Oh they absolutely could! It's hard for us old fogeys to understand what it's like to grow up in a world with portable technology and constant connection to the rest of the world, but that's just what it's like for a 10 year old. They know nothing of a world before there was facebook, internet in everyone's pocket, instant text messaging. They intrinsically understand things that we have to learn!

I think you'd be very surprised to find out how much a 10 yo understands about computers and tech. It's likely far more than you or I know, and I work in software!! I'm always surprised by how much better "the kids these days" would be even at my own job!

[Ecureuil]

Setting up an email account and setting up a Facebook account. You just follow the simple instructions that appear on screen. If he can read, he can set up accounts. I’m surprised you think he wouldn’t be able to.
Doesn’t mean he has, of course. But it’s not impossible.