The growth of social media platforms, instant messaging apps, and online games allow people to meet and interact from anywhere in the world. While this could lead to the development of valuable connections and friendships, it also makes your child vulnerable. Read on for six ways you can protect your child from online grooming.
1. Keep personal details private
The first step to preventing the grooming of minors is by securing information that could identify them in the real world, including photographs, name, gender, age, home address, school name, and phone numbers. Have your child understand that interacting with someone online does not mean they are not strangers, so they should refrain from sharing personal information with people they do not know.
2. Talk to them about what they do online
Create time to check in with your child about what is happening with them online. Ask them what they do, who they do it with, and the games and sites they use. Request to know more about their online friends: do they know them in real life or they are just people they met online? Are you sure of their age?. Predators often manipulate unsuspecting children by posing as the ‘go-to-friend,’ so be sure to note who is in your child’s good graces.
3. Provide a positive emotional outlet
Children going through tough times in their lives, including problems at school, low self-esteem, and family struggles, to mention a few, are more vulnerable to falling victim to online predators. This is because children are often on the lookout for a neutral, non-judgemental space separate from the family to vent their frustrations, and they may open up on an online chat room, giving a groomer the chance to pose as a friend. To avoid this, you should make your children feel safe and comfortable coming to you to discuss issues they may be struggling with. If your child has difficulties opening up to you, request that they speak to a therapist.
4. Review sites, games, and apps your child uses
While you may be familiar with the popular social media platforms and games, there may be new sites or apps your kid may be using or wants to use. The best way to ensure that these sites are safe for your kid is by using them yourself to experience what your baby might see or who they may interact with. Identify child-friendly apps, games, and social networks your kid could use before they advance to the likes of Instagram and Snapchat.
You also need to know the apps they are using and all their accounts. You can use their phone number to find their social media accounts. This way you will be able to monitor what they are doing. Monitoring their social media activity will help you keep them safe and teach them good social media habits.
5. Block age-inappropriate apps and sites
Various tools such as the parental control software, in-app settings, or operating system settings can monitor and filter online behaviors. Consider using these tools to identify apps and sites not intended for users under a certain age bracket and block them. However, ensure you take time to make your child understand why certain apps, sites, and games are off-limits.
6. Educate your child
You may not always be there to monitor your child’s online activities and who they interact with. To ensure they do not experience online grooming, teach your child about the manipulative, exploitative tactics online sex traffickers, crudes, and other groomers use.
Summary
It’s every parent’s responsibility to ensure their child’s physical and online safety. Ensure your child understands the threats online and implement the above preventive measures to protect them from the world.
Image from Pixel Bay
p.s. Related posts:
Web Safety Advice from Dr. Michele Borba
Great Topics from A Kids Book About …
Teaching Inappropriate Touch to Kids Starting at Age 3
LifeLock: Online Safety for Kids
Keeping Kids Safe from Inappropriate Touch
How to help your kids stay safe online
3 Ways to Teach Your Child How to Speak Up About Abuse
To examine any book more closely at Indiebound or Amazon, please click on image of book.
As an Amazon and IndieBound Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me