A–Z Glossary

Online safety

Practices that help protect children from harmful content, harassment, coercive contact, privacy risks, and unsafe online interactions.

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Search results for: Online safety

Digital communication skills kids

Digital communication skills kids

What digital communication skills mean for children Digital communication skills kids need are broader than knowing how to tap, swipe, or send an emoji. They include receptive language, expressive language, pragmatic language, social cognition, emotional regulation, attention control, and safety judgment. A child must learn not only what a message says, but how it may […]

Teaching kids about strangers and unsafe situations

Teaching kids about strangers and unsafe situations

Start with safety skills rather than fear Young children often think in concrete terms and may interpret “stranger” as a person who looks unusual or frightening. This can create false reassurance because many people appear friendly, and it can unfairly stigmatize people based on appearance, age, clothing, disability, or occupation. Explain that a stranger is […]

What kids should do in unsafe situations

What kids should do in unsafe situations

Recognize that a situation feels unsafe Unsafe situations do not always look dramatic. A child may notice a threat through fear, discomfort, confusion, pressure, or a strong desire to leave. Warning signs can include an adult asking the child to keep an unusual secret, trying to separate the child from others, making unwanted physical contact, […]

Common stranger safety myths

Common stranger safety myths

Myth 1: The greatest danger is a completely unknown stranger This is the central stranger-safety myth. Public attention often focuses on stereotypical abductions involving a person the child has never seen before, a vehicle, and a sudden disappearance. Such events are serious, but they are uncommon compared with many other forms of child victimization. Research […]

Internet and social media safety children

Internet and social media safety children

Why internet and social media safety matters Digital platforms are not neutral environments. Recommendation systems, notifications, infinite scrolling, in-app purchases, public metrics, and social comparison can encourage prolonged or emotionally intense use. The World Health Organization has highlighted cyberbullying, harmful content, unrealistic body standards, and platform features that can amplify risk for children and adolescents. […]

Common safety mistakes parents make

Common safety mistakes parents make

Assuming familiarity equals safety One of the most common mistakes is underestimating a hazard because it is part of everyday life. A coffee table, staircase, kitchen appliance, driveway, or bath may feel controlled to an adult, but a young child has different proportions, reflexes, balance, and risk awareness. Developmental changes can also make yesterday’s precautions […]

Creating home-alone safety rules for children

Creating home-alone safety rules for children

Assess readiness as a set of skills There is no universally safe age at which every child can stay home alone. A more useful approach is to assess specific abilities. The child should generally be able to follow several-step instructions, recognize unsafe situations, use a telephone or approved communication device, and seek help when a […]

Healthy technology habits children

Healthy technology habits children

Technology habits are developmental, not moral Healthy technology routines for children begin with a realistic view of child development. Children are still building inhibitory control, reward sensitivity, attention shifting, and emotional self-regulation. Digital media is designed to be stimulating, immediate, and easy to continue, so a child who protests when a game or video ends […]

Technology influence children explained

Technology influence children explained

What technology influence means in childhood Technology influence refers to the ways digital devices, platforms, games, social media, online video, messaging, and educational software interact with a child’s biology and environment. Influence may be direct, such as visual stimulation or prolonged sitting, or indirect, such as a later bedtime because of gaming, fewer conversations during […]