You may not have thought about it a lot, but the company that covers your homeowners insurance is very concerned about cyberbullying and liability issues that could arise with a lawsuit. As the world moves quickly toward establishing dual identities in both the “real world” and online communities such as Facebook, Twitter, You Tube or gaming systems like Xbox 360, new legal liability issues are escalating.
Cyberbullying incidents are reported to be quickly on the rise, and the insurance industry is scrambling to determine risk for an issue that did not exist ten years ago. While personal injury riders do exist as a part of standard homeowners or umbrella coverage, cyberbullying is still considered to be a “gray area” of coverage by most companies while the courts have already begun to sort the issue out.
If your child has skipped the school yard and been using the internet to harass or threaten another child, insure.com reports that The American Association of Insurance Services has decided that he or she is an “electronic aggressor” and has formulated exclusionary language suggested to their member companies in the case of suits involving teen suicides reportedly resulting from cyberbullying issues. In other words, you may not be covered if a lawsuit arises.
Another insurance industry organization, the Insurance Services Office has suggested an opposite option for their member insurance companies. They recommend companies offer an optional endorsement to their homeowner’s insurance customers that would include personal injury coverage arising from any manner of oral or written material. In this instance you’ll be able pay a little more to be sure you aren’t liable.
It’s becoming harder to know what children are saying or sending to one another while online or using smart phones and gaming systems. Be safe, engage in parental monitoring before it's too late.
