Protecting children online requires parental involvement, clear boundaries, and age-appropriate security controls. Open conversations about safe behavior help children recognize risks and develop lifelong habits for sharing information online.
Some parents unknowingly share too much information about their children, which can expose them to risks such as identity theft, digital kidnapping, and even physical harm. Over time, this oversharing can also impact a child’s sense of self by shaping an identity before they have a chance to define it themselves. A common example is displaying celebratory signs in front yards for birthdays, graduations, or new births, details that passing scammers can exploit to gather personal information and commit identity fraud.
Read More: Sharenting Online
Parental controls help protect children online by monitoring activity, managing screen time, and blocking inappropriate content. They reduce the risk of exposure to harmful material and online predators while giving parents peace of mind and allowing children to explore the digital world with age-appropriate safeguards in place.
Teach your children to never answer phone or video calls from unknown numbers. Predators have been known to use these calls to capture a child’s image or voice and create deepfakes, which can then be used for blackmail or extortion, an increasingly common threat as artificial intelligence advances.
Use these resources to better understand the online dangers children face and the tactics used to target them. They provide practical guidance, tools, and best practices that parents and caregivers can use to reduce risks, have informed conversations with children, and create a safer digital environment both at home and online.
Read More: Thorn Foundation, iGuardian, NetSmartz, Child Rescue Coalition, Filter First, Shared Hope