Empowering Parents to keep their children safe online. Why Every Parent Should Know Who Their Children are Chatting With"

Empowering Parents to keep their children safe online. Why Every Parent Should Know Who Their Children are Chatting With".

In today’s digital world, knowing who your child is chatting with online is critical to keeping them safe from risks like cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and online predators. Empowering parents with digital safety skills not only protects children but also gives peace of mind, enabling employees to be more present and productive at work. Please read on for some practical tips on how to keep your children safe online.

Communication and Trust

• Know your child’s emotional state.

  If they are going through a phase where they are feeling lonely, vulnerable or isolated from their peers, they are much more likely to respond to messages from strangers. If you know how they are feeling, you are more likely to be able to protect them from strangers on the digital prowl. Strangers on the digital prowl, will start by pretending to be part of their network, share similar clubs (athletic or activity), share similar interests etc.. Then they will start conversations online about these interests, and begin to flatter, before they make requests to meet or requests for inappropriate visual material.

• TRUST.

  Your child needs to know that you won’t “flip out” if they tell you about something suspicious about what is happening on their Social Media platform. Start laying the groundwork, by building an open an honest conversation about your concerns. Promise them that you won’t ever remove their device if they disclose something to you. The key here is always leave the door open for them to let you know what is going on.

• Create a Safe Space to Talk:

  Let your child know that they can come to you if someone makes them uncomfortable or if they’re unsure about a person. Emphasize that they won’t get in trouble for bringing these concerns to you.

  
  

• Discuss “Gut Feelings”:

  Encourage your child to trust their instincts. If someone’s messages or actions don’t feel right, they should feel empowered to stop engaging with that person and inform you.

Set Up Clear Privacy Boundaries

• Encourage Privacy Settings:

  Show your child how to set their profiles to "private" so only approved followers can see their content. Explain the importance of only allowing people they genuinely know and trust to follow them.

  
  

• Be Cautious About Sharing Personal Information: Remind them never to share private information like their location, school, or home address in their profile, posts, or direct messages, as this can easily reveal details to strangers.

  
  

Teach About Red Flags in Messages

• Suspicious Behavior:

  Help your child recognize typical stranger tactics, like asking many personal questions, sending unsolicited links, or insisting on secrecy. Anyone pushing for personal information or making them uncomfortable should be treated with caution.

• Generic Language:

  Often, strangers use vague or impersonal language ("Hey, what's up?" or "Hi, cutie") rather than mentioning specific interests or memories that a real friend would reference.

  
  

Review Friends and Followers Regularly

• Quality Over Quantity:

  Help your child understand that it's better to have a small circle of friends they know well than many unknown followers.

  
  

• Review Together:

  If you can, occasionally, go through their followers list with them. Make it a routine activity where you both check for any unknown or suspicious accounts they may have accepted without realizing.

  
  

Teach Safe Response Strategies

• Practice “No Response” Policies:

  If they receive messages from people they don’t recognize, teach them to ignore or block the person rather than engage.

  
  

• Use Reporting Tools:

  Show them how to use Snapchat and TikTok’s reporting features to flag inappropriate messages or users. Reinforce that reporting is a responsible action, not tattling.