For a Safer Internet: Keeping Children Safe Online
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Do you know the best ways to protect children from digital harm? On Safer Internet Day (Feb, 6th) – we are raising awareness of a safer and better internet for all. Especially for children and young people. New digital technology is constantly evolving and impacting the way children learn, play, interact, and access information. However, greater access to digital spaces, can increase children's risk to experiencing harm. As a global leader in child protection and children participation, Save the Children is committed to working with and for children to ensure they are safe on and offline.
Photo: Save the Children
5 top tips for protecting children online
Talk to your children about their technology use: Many children do not differentiate between on and offline environments, so talk to them about both activities in the same way.
Give clear information and guidance: Explain online safety, privacy, acting responsibly and the importance of platform and content age limits to your children.
Educate them about the risks: Talk to your children about the risks of being online and how to identify threats. This helps them protect themselves and makes it more likely that they will tell you if something bad happens.
“Adults should ask children what is happening online and try to keep them on safe sites.”
Remind children to stop and think before they share: Teach your children to ask: “Can this information be used to identify me? If I’m not sure, I should ask an adult I trust for advice.”
Know where to go for help: If your child feels threatened or has experienced abuse online, it is important to remind them that they have not done anything wrong. Most countries maintain a national helpline for reporting online violence against children. You can find out more here.
join us online
To celebrate Safer Internet Day, we are co-organizing USAID’s second biannual Protecting Children and Youth from Digital Harm Symposium with the WeProtect Global Alliance, Digital Frontiers, TechChange and DAI. The virtual event offers an opportunity to identify as well as tackle digital harm issues and will provide a forum to learn, share, and engage with youth leaders, government, civil society, donors, and the private sector. It will focus on global voices and intentionally designing interventions to protect children and youth with children and youth. Register here and join us on the 6th of Feb. 2024.
Find out more:
– How to discuss sexual abuse with a young person? Videos and instructions for a professional (Save the Children Finland)
– If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of exploitation anywhere in the world, report it on the global CyberTipline.
– If there are nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos of you online from before you turned 18, you can use the Take it Down service to have them removed by major platforms.
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