Talking With Kids About Online Safety and Cyberbullying

Short conversations that happen often work better than one big talk. Here are starting points for each age group.

DigitalSep 8, 20266 min read

Many online problems start small: a group chat that turns mean, a stranger who asks for a photo, a post shared without permission.

Starting points by age

With younger children, focus on asking before downloading and telling an adult when something online feels strange. With middle schoolers, talk about group chats, screenshots, and how quickly posts spread. With teens, talk about privacy settings, location sharing, and what to do if someone pressures them.

If your child is being bullied online

Save screenshots with dates. Don't reply to the other person. Contact your school's counselor, even if it happened outside school hours, since online conflicts often carry into the building.

RememberKids are more likely to tell you about a problem if they don't expect to lose their phone for it.

Sources

What Is Cyberbullying (StopBullying.gov)
Report Cyberbullying (StopBullying.gov)

This post is general information. Your school's own plan comes first, so ask the school office for its specific procedures.