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Parenting and child development

Online safety for kids

The habits, rules and tools that help children use the internet, apps and games while avoiding harm such as scams, cruelty, and adults who try to exploit them.

What It Means

Online safety for kids covers what children need to know, and what parents set up, so a child can use the internet, apps and games with less risk. The FTC's advice puts talking ahead of technology: start the conversation as soon as your child uses a phone, tablet or computer, and keep having it. Tools such as parental controlsParental controlsSettings and tools that let a parent limit what a child can see, download, buy and who they can contact on a device or app, and for how long. See more back up the family's rules, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) runs a free program, NetSmartz, with lessons for ages 5 to 17.

Try It: Walk Through Five Steps to Safer Screens

Step through five things the FTC and NCMEC suggest. Do one a week.

Step1
Of5
Start talking now.
Begin when your child first uses a device, and don't wait for them to bring it up.

How Parents Say It

  • "If anything online ever makes you feel weird, come tell me."
  • "Never share where you live in a game chat."
  • "We're setting up the tablet together before you use it."

The Breakdown

By age

AgeFocusSource
First device, at any ageStart talking right away, and set up parental controls on each deviceFTC
5 to 17Age-matched lessons, videos and games on staying safe and being a good digital citizenDigital citizenshipUsing technology and the internet in ways that are safe, responsible, legal and respectful of other people. See moreNCMEC NetSmartz
Under 13Covered apps need a parent's verifiable consent before collecting a child's personal informationFTC, COPPA Rule
TweensTweenA child in the years just before becoming a teenager, roughly the late elementary and middle school years. Another word for preteen. See more and teensNetSmartz tip sheets written for tweens and teens themselvesNCMEC

How to keep the conversation going

  1. Ask your child to show you a game or app they like, and play it with them.
  2. Talk about what they'd do if someone online asked for a photo, their address or a secret.
  3. Tell them plainly that they won't be in trouble for telling you something went wrong.
  4. Bring it up again in small pieces. The FTC notes most kids need to hear things more than once before they stick.

When to get help. If your child is being threatened, pressured for sexual images or contacted by an adult in a sexual way, report it to NCMEC's CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org or 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST). If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Good to Know

NCMEC's CyberTipline is the national reporting system for online exploitation of children, including online enticement of a child for sexual acts and obscene material sent to a child. NCMEC also stresses that children do best with caring adults around them who talk openly about boundaries, consent and self-esteemSelf-esteemHow a person feels about themselves and what they can do. In a child, healthy self-esteem shows as feeling liked, accepted and able to try again after a mistake. See more. For cruelty between kids, see the cyberbullyingCyberbullyingBullying that happens through phones, computers, tablets and games, such as cruel messages, rumors, embarrassing posts or pretending to be someone. See more page and StopBullying.gov.

FAQ

At what age should I talk to my child about online safety?

As soon as they start using a phone, tablet or computer, according to the FTC. NCMEC's NetSmartz program has resources starting at age 5.

What is NetSmartz?

A free online safety program from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, with videos, games, lessons and tip sheets for children ages 5 to 17 and for the adults who care for them.

Where do I report someone contacting my child online?

For sexual exploitation or enticement, NCMEC's CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org or 1-800-843-5678. If your child is in danger right now, call 911.

Do It in Buhata

Household Notes and Reminders

Put NCMEC's CyberTipline number and your family's online rules in Household Notes in Buhata, and set a monthly Reminder to ask your child what's new in their apps and games.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Parental controls

    Settings and tools that let a parent limit what a child can see, download, buy and who they can contact on a device or app, and for how long.

  • Cyberbullying

    Bullying that happens through phones, computers, tablets and games, such as cruel messages, rumors, embarrassing posts or pretending to be someone.

  • Digital citizenship

    Using technology and the internet in ways that are safe, responsible, legal and respectful of other people.

  • Tricky people

    Pattie Fitzgerald's name for anyone, known or unknown, whose behavior should put a child on guard. Taught in place of "stranger danger."

Parenting and child development

Sources

Federal Trade Commission, "Protecting Kids Online"; Federal Trade Commission, "How To Use Parental Controls To Keep Your Kid Safer Online"; National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), "Online Safety: Talk about it Early and Often!" (2023); NCMEC, "Don't Wait: Talk to Your Kids About Online Safety" (2021); NCMEC, "NetSmartz Home"; NCMEC, "Internet Safety Tip Sheets"; NCMEC, "CyberTipline"

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