The Internet is a wonderful tool for learning, entertainment, and communication. Still, it also comes with risks and challenges for parents and caregivers who want to keep their children safe online.
This blog post will share some resources to help you learn more about internet safety, set healthy boundaries, and protect your family from common online threats.
Common Online Threats
Some of the common online threats that your children may encounter are:
Cyberbullying
This is when someone uses the internet or a digital device to harass, humiliate, or hurt another person. Cyberbullying can take many forms, such as sending mean messages, spreading rumors, posting embarrassing photos or videos, or creating fake profiles. Cyberbullying can harm your child’s mental health, self-esteem, and academic performance.
Phishing
This is when someone tries to trick you into giving them your personal or financial information, such as your passwords, bank account details, or credit card numbers. Phishing can happen through emails, texts, phone calls, or websites that look legitimate but are actually fake. Phishing can lead to identity theft, fraud, or malware infection.
Malware
This type of software can harm your computer or device or steal your data. Malware can include viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, ransomware, and adware. Malware can infect your device through downloading files, clicking links, opening attachments, or visiting malicious websites. Malware can damage your device, slow down its performance, delete your files, or encrypt your data and demand a ransom.
Resources for Parents and Caregivers
To prevent these online threats from harming your family, you need to educate yourself and your children about how to stay safe online. Some of the resources we recommend are:
NetSmartz
This National Center for Missing and Exploited Children program provides educational materials, videos, games, and tips for parents and kids on staying safe online. You can find age-appropriate resources for children from preschool to high school, as well as guides for parents on topics such as social media, gaming, sexting, and online predators. Visit NetSmartz Home (missingkids.org) to access the resources.
Common Sense Media
This nonprofit organisation provides reviews, ratings, and advice on media and technology for families. You also can find information on choosing appropriate and quality content for your children, setting screen time limits, talking to your kids about digital citizenship and online behaviour, and dealing with cyberbullying and hate speech. Access the resources by visiting Common Sense Media.
Family Online Safety Institute
This international nonprofit organisation works to make the online world safer for kids and their families. They offer research, resources, tools, and events on digital parenting, online privacy, digital well-being, and online safety education. You can find guides, videos, podcasts, webinars, and newsletters to help you stay informed and empowered as a parent or caregiver. Visit the Family Online Safety Institute (fosi.org) to access the resources.
Shared Hope International
This is an organization that works to prevent and end sex trafficking of children. They offer fact sheets, videos, a Parent Guide, and app-specific information about how to talk with young people about online safety. You can find tips on how to recognize the signs of grooming and exploitation online, how to report suspicious activity or content, and how to support survivors of trafficking. Visit Internet Safety (sharedhope.org) to see these resources.
ConnectSafely
This nonprofit organisation provides research-based safety tips, parents’ guidebooks,
advice, news, and commentary on all aspects of technology use and policy. You can find guides on how to use popular apps and platforms safely, how to deal with online issues such as cyberbullying, sexting, and sextortion, and how to promote digital literacy and citizenship among your children. You can find these resources at ConnectSafely.
The internet can be an excellent place for your children to grow and thrive, as long as you are aware of the potential risks and take steps to prevent them with the help of the online resources above.
These are just some of the many resources available for parents and caregivers who want to learn more about internet safety and how to support their children’s online experiences. We hope you find them valuable and helpful. Remember that you are not alone in this journey and that many organizations and experts can offer guidance and support.