70% of kids encounter sexual or violent content online while doing research for their homework. (Bera, 2022)

• 17% of tweens (age 8-12) received an online message with photos or words that made them feel uncomfortable, and only 7% of their parents were aware of this. (Bera, 2022)

• 75% of children are willing to share personal information online in exchange for goods and services. (Bera, 2022)

• 42% of 10- to 17-year-olds have seen pornography online, with 27% saying they intentionally viewed such materials. (Rebecca L. Collins, 2017)

• An examination of 15- to 18-year-olds found 54% of boys and 17% of girls admitted to intentional viewing of pornography. (Rebecca L. Collins, 2017)

• The average age of first pornography exposure is between 11 and 12 years old. (Amanda L. Glordano, 2022)

There are many benefits of easy access to technology; however, there are risks. Below, you will learn how to reduce your child’s risk while being online and what you can do to protect them.

ONLINE SAFETY SUGGESTIONS:

• Discuss internet safety and utilize an online safety pledge (Appendix E) with children before they engage in online activity. It’s important to have conversations about when a child or teen can utilize their device and how much time they are allowed to spend on it.

° It’s important to ask questions that tell you more about what they plan to do while online, including what their plans are while online, who they will be engaging with, and reminding them of the internet safety pledge.

Always supervise children’s use of the internet. This includes periodically checking their profiles and posts on social media platforms. Keep electronic devices in open, common areas of the home and set time limits for their use.

• Review games, apps, and social media sites prior to allowing children and teens to access them. A great resource to use for this is: https://www.commonsensemedia.org.

• Adjust privacy settings and use parental controls for apps, online games, and social media platforms. Parental controls, such as website blocking, become less effective as children grow older and are easy for kids to remove or edit. Parental controls can give us a false sense of security, and we cannot solely rely on those controls to ensure child/teen safety. Parental controls are not a substitute for honest and meaningful conversations.

• Talk to your child about pornography.

° You can say something like, “On the internet, you may see things you do not understand, like pictures or videos of people without clothes on, doing things you haven’t seen before. If you come across any of these pictures or videos, come tell me and we can talk about it.” It’s essential to provide education about pornography and the differences between pornography and healthy, consensual sexual activity. Without these open, non-judgmental conversations, children and teens will turn to other sources as their “teachers,” which may or may not be helpful and may even be dangerous. For support in having these conversations, see. Appendix D.

• Personal information should always stay private. Tell children to avoid sharing any personal information (name, phone number, birthdate, address) or photos/videos online.

• Explain that any images/photos posted online will be permanently on the internet.

• Talk to children about body safety and boundaries, as we referenced earlier in this guide on page 9, including the importance of saying “no” to inappropriate requests (in-person or online).

• Children should know it’s OK to talk to one of their trusted adults if anyone asks them to engage in sexual activity or other inappropriate behavior and that they won’t be in trouble. See page 8 to review the roles of trusted adults.