CRIMESTOPPERS.NS.CA 11 HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE POMJOF! 5 WAYS TO HELP KEEP YOUR CHILD’S ONLINE EXPERIENCES POSITIVE AND SAFE As your child grows, it is likely they are spending more and more time online. There are so many positive things about being online like staying connected with friends and family, pursuing interests, and being part of communities. But it is not always a safe and positive experience for children. Here's how you can help your child maximize all the good things the internet and digital technologies have to offer, while protecting them against potential harm. 1. SET CLEAR GROUND RULES Have honest conversations with your children about who they communicate with and how, and who can see what they post online. Explain that anything that goes online – pictures, videos, comments, things they share with others and what others post and share with them and about them – leaves behind a trail of information about them. To make sure they’re leaving a positive “digital footprint”, they should be mindful about what they do and say online. Make sure they understand that discriminatory or inappropriate content is never acceptable. No one should spread rumours or share hurtful or embarrassing stories or photos. What may seem like a harmless joke to one person can be deeply hurtful to others. If your child experiences something online that makes them feel upset, uncomfortable or scared, encourage them to tell you or a trusted adult immediately. Children often ‘know’ the perpetrators of online harassment or abuse, so it is important to help them to be alert and know how to respond to any problematic behaviours they encounter online. Work with your child to establish rules on how, when and where to use devices. 2. USE TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT THEM Check that your child’s device is always updated and running the latest software, and that privacy settings are on and configured to minimize data collection so that people don’t see any information that you don’t want them to see. Help your child learn to keep personal information private. If your privacy settings are not secure, anyone can see your information. Keep webcams covered when not in use. For younger children, tools such as parental controls like safe search, can help keep online experiences positive. Be cautious of free online resources, including educational ones. If your child is asked to provide a photo or their full name, be sure it is a trusted website. Uijol!cfgpsf !zpv !QPTU! Think twice before you post anything online, especially if you’re upset or angry. Once you share a message, photo or video, it’s hard to control what happens to it. Taking it down is nearly impossible. And remember you have the right to privacy – and so do others. It is not okay to log into other people’s accounts, use their phones without their permission or share their information or photos.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==