Tampa, FL -- (SBWire) -- 03/02/2015 --Parents who are aware of online dangers are constantly working to protect their children from harm. But a new study reports that parents attempting to aggressively direct their children away from harm could actually be leading them toward it.

To bring this information to parents, MamaBear, The Ultimate Parenting App™ recently published the article "Table Talk: Helping Your Teen Avoid Risky Online Behavior."

The article shares information from a new study about how kids respond to parental intervention as it relates to online behavior. The study, conducted by Professor Gustavo Mesch at the University of Haifa, found that kids who have parents who secretly monitor their online behaviors were more likely to engage in risky online behavior.

Conversely, the study found that kids who have parents who communicate with them about their expectations and rules for online behavior were less likely to engage in risky behavior.

"Every parent wants to do whatever they can to protect their kids," explained MamaBear CEO Suzanne Horton. "But sometimes we take those measures too far and actually create an adverse effect. In this case, by overwhelming kids with secretive supervision, we may be pushing them toward the thing we are trying to protect them from."

The study found that the most effective approach toward guiding kids away from risky online behavior isn't strict ' behind their back' monitoring, but rather open communication and trust.

"We encourage parents to have conversations with their kids around the dinner table, and this is definitely one worth having," Horton continued. "Parents shouldn't snoop on their kids online. Instead, they should talk to them openly about risks and expectations. Then, together they should create a plan for how the parents will be involved with the child's online world."

The article goes on to give parents do's and don'ts for handling the topic with their kids, and explains how to find an online monitoring plan that makes both parents and kids comfortable.

For more information about Professor Mesch's research and additional tips on how to protect your kids, visit: http://mamabearapp.com/table-talk-topic-risky-online-behavior/

About MamaBear
MamaBear is the leading-edge, mobile, all-in one parenting app that creates a private family communication hub providing parents with an efficient way to communicate, locate, organize and protect their children with peace of mind in this complex social and digital media age. The app is available on iTunes and Google Play.

MamaBear provides parents with a powerful all-in-one safety and awareness tool that offers a unique set of social media monitoring features, family mapping, alerts and reputation management tools, as well as alerts to cyber threats toward their children. Moreover it offers a private place for families to communicate and stay abreast of family activities such as kids' team sports.

The company has been recognized by CNBC as one of the "World's Most Promising New Companies" and by the Kauffman Institute as one of "The 50 Promising New Startups." MamaBear was recently chosen from 600 startups that exhibited at Silicon Alley by TechCrunch as one of a handful given the honor to exhibit in TechCrunch's Startup Alley Highlights at this year's 2015 Crunchies Awards in San Francisco. MamaBear's core values are to protect children, honor families, encourage trust, and respect privacy.