Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide Here

Key Takeaways

• The internet has become a minefield for predators who want to get access to kids
• People who want to contact kids will use the same games, apps, and platforms that students enjoy in order to contact them
• Predators are very good at disguising themselves as kind, understanding, exciting new friends
• Making sure students have a healthy support network offline can make students less vulnerable to being lured in by a predator
• Parents can help protect students by having ongoing, age-appropriate conversations with them about what is or isn’t okay for someone to say, ask, offer, or do online

Dialogue Starters:

Parents of Elementary School Students (to ask students)

Who to Trust

• Why do you think the friends you know from school, playing in the neighborhood, or other in-person activities are safer to trust than someone who tries to be your friend on the computer or in a game? 

Parents of Middle School Students (to ask students)

When Someone Is “Too Nice”

• What would you do if someone you meet online seems like a person you would enjoy being friends with, but you don’t really know who they are?

Parents of High School Students (to ask students)

Protecting Friends

• If a friend told you they spent a lot of time talking online with someone they don’t actually know in real life, what would you want them to consider about this person?

More resources for parents, students, & educators

• Drugs on Social Media: What Parents & Educators Need to Look Out For
• What is the Chroming Challenge: Understanding the Perils of Inhaling Toxic Chemicals
• TikTok Tranquilizer Challenge: What Parents & Educators Need to Know

Conclusion

Students are digital natives and between screen time at home and screen time at school, they often spend quite a bit of time online. Protecting kids online is more important today than ever before with the risk of online predators, online drug sales, and other dangerous situations that kids have the potential to be exposed to. The most important defense against these online risks is having an ongoing dialogue with students so they understand what red flags they should be looking out for and know what to do if they find themselves in an unsafe situation.