By Pat Craven
As administrators, teachers and parents, we all want to keep children safe. As the school year approaches, many of us worry about monitoring kids’ online activity and protecting them from cyberbullying. The good news is that with a few practical steps, you can help your child navigate the digital world with greater confidence and safety.
Create a digital safety plan together.
Start by having an open, age-appropriate conversation about online risks. Research consistently finds that many children interact with strangers online and sometimes share sensitive details, such as phone numbers. Explain the dangers of revealing personally identifying information—phone numbers, home addresses, school names—and emphasize that people online may not always be who they claim to be. While pretending to be someone else can seem harmless or playful, it can also be used to manipulate or harm.
Work with your child to develop a clear, simple digital safety plan. Cover topics such as what information is off-limits, when to ask for permission before downloading apps, and how to respond if someone asks for identifying details. Learning these rules together helps children feel invested in them and more likely to follow the guidelines they helped create.
Help them understand cyberbullying.
Make sure your child understands what cyberbullying looks like and that it can happen to anyone. Explain common signs—threats, name-calling, or the posting of embarrassing images without consent—and stress that cyberbullying is never acceptable. Teach your child to report incidents immediately to a trusted adult so appropriate steps can be taken and, if needed, authorities can be notified.
Also discuss empathy and accountability. If your child has ever participated in hurtful behavior online, use the conversation as an opportunity to explain why insults and mocking are harmful and to agree on better choices going forward. Reinforcing kindness and responsibility helps reduce the likelihood of both being bullied and inadvertently bullying others.
Limit screen time and encourage other interests.
Establish reasonable screen time rules that fit your family’s needs and your child’s developmental stage. Encourage regular breaks from screens and plan offline activities like outdoor play, sports, creative hobbies, music or art. These alternatives not only support physical and mental health but also build self-confidence. Kids who feel capable and engaged in real-world activities are less vulnerable to online harassment and manipulation.
Balance is key: promote healthy routines that include sleep, exercise, and social time away from devices. Encourage children to pursue interests that help them develop skills and friendships outside of the digital sphere.
Keep up with their social media activity.
Digital platforms and apps change constantly, so stay informed about which social media channels your child uses most. Popular platforms among young people include Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook, but new apps appear regularly. Ask how long they have used each app and whether they understand the privacy and reporting tools available.
Set clear rules for sharing online: no posting of addresses, specific school names, phone numbers, or other identifying details without your approval. Ask your child to always get permission before installing new apps and to check with you if they’re unsure about a feature or interaction. Walk through examples of appropriate and inappropriate posts—details about a trip or an achievement are fine, but precise location or real-time updates can create risk.
Make it a household rule that passwords and personal information should never be shared online, even with friends. Encourage ongoing dialogue: regularly ask your child whether they’re comfortable with something they plan to post and keep an open-door policy for questions and concerns.
After these conversations and agreements, you’ll likely feel more confident sending your child back to school—and your child will feel more secure knowing they can come to you with digital concerns.
About the author
Patrick “Pat” Craven is the Executive Director of the Center for Cyber Safety and Education. With more than 35 years in the nonprofit sector, he has held leadership roles at organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He is a frequent speaker and writer on child and family online safety and appears regularly on radio, television and podcasts.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media hub focused on the shift in education toward digital curriculum.