Technology offers children many opportunities for learning, socialising and play. But there are also risks.

So how can you talk to your child about internet safety in a way that doesn’t make them switch off?

There are different types of online risks and harms you might discuss with your child. 

Some are emotional and social (like cyberbullying), some financial (like scams), and some physical (like grooming for sexual abuse). 

Many of these things are scary. The key thing is that if children know they won't be judged and that they will be helped, the risks don't have to turn into harms. 

It's about equipping children so that they know how to respond in the early stages. 

Talking to your child how what they do online, and therefore being more engaged and available to help, can help build their digital resilience. This means they may better at: 

– understanding that there are some risks online 

– knowing how to get help if they need it – and that help will always be there 

– learning from experience

– finding ways to recover when things go wrong.

A good starting point is to simply talk to your child about what they like doing online. You could even ask them to show you. It might be a game or video. Understanding their online world will put you in a better position to help them or spot if there may be a problem. You could ask questions like:

– what do they do online? 

– what are they currently spending the most time on? 

– what would they like to be doing more of? 

– what makes them feel good (or not so good)?

The internet is a tool for sharing – but no one wants to share everything. 

Many children understand the importance of strong passwords, logging out of sites, and not giving out their addresses online. You can continue this conversation by talking to your child about when sharing might create problems. 

It’s not only their own stuff they have to be careful of sharing. They need to think about passing on content relating to other people, especially when they don't have their permission.

More than ever, we need to be on guard against false information online. This might be scams, or it could be content that's designed to mislead (disinformation). 

One way to tackle this is to talk to your child about thinking critically and to discuss tips for spotting disinformation. 

Clues to untrustworthy content can include:

– unexpected pop-ups, for example in games, especially when they pressure you to act quickly

– downloads or messages that they aren't expecting

– spelling, grammar and design mistakes on emails or messages

– strange-looking web addresses 

Talk to your child about the balance between being open to exciting new things online and being wary and critical.

Something that might be said and forgotten in person can feel different when written and shared online. Things can be just as upsetting, if not more. 

Talk to your child about why it's important to be kind to others online. Good questions for everyone to keep in mind are: 

– how would you feel if someone said this to you?

– could someone misinterpret or be upset by what you've said?

– is this making the online world more positive, or less?

Talk to your child about whether you sometimes need to think about behaving differently online.

Make sure your child understands that bad things that happen online can be managed and stopped.

It's important that they know they have the power to control their online life for the better. This might involve blocking someone who is unkind on a gaming platform or reporting inappropriate content while on social media. Youm might help them work out how to do this. 

Your child should know that you won’t judge them if they come to you for help. If they want to talk to another adult they trust (like a teacher), that’s fine too. You may be able to identify the sort of person they could talk to.

Make sure you know any specialist organisations that can  help manage different concerns. 

Find more parent advice and information in the Parent Zone Library.