Online Safety
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Keeping Our Families Safe Online Is Everyone's Responsibility
Keeping Our Families Safe Online Is Everyone's Responsibility
Together, we can make a difference—one conversation, safety habit, and trusted connection at a time.
We would never allow a young child to walk onto an expressway alone—yet every day, we hand children devices that place them directly into the fast-moving digital world without the same level of protection.
This section is designed to help you navigate that space with confidence. It provides foundational safety practices, key warning signs to watch for, and conversation starters to support open, ongoing dialogue with the children in your care.
Safety Starts Here
Safety Starts Here
Clear, actionable steps families can take right away to create safer digital environments. (Detailed guidance is provided in the sections below.)
Clear, actionable steps families can take right away to create safer digital environments. (Detailed guidance is provided in the sections below.)
Set up Online Safety Controls
Talk openly and regularly with children
Listen and let your children know that they can and should come to you with Anything at Anytime
You are their first line of defense:
Be Their Protector
Survivor accounts suggest that children may need to report to multiple adults, sometimes as many as nine, before receiving a response OS1
Know their friends, where they are going, when they’ll be back, and have them share their locations and logins with you
Check their devices regularly: photos, apps, chats, browsing history, deleted content
Enable Parent Approval before any new apps can be added
Keep all device use in an open space without headphones so parents can see and hear what is going on
When Something Happens, Your Child Needs to Hear This First...
Many children stay silent when something happens because they feel afraid, embarrassed, or ashamed.
Tell them in advance:
You’re not in trouble
Tell me immediately
We’ll solve it together
Your safety matters more than the mistake
I love you
How Exploitation Happens - How To Respond
How Exploitation Happens - How To Respond
Below is a brief breakdown of tactics that traffickers use to target and manipulate children.
Below is a brief breakdown of tactics that traffickers use to target and manipulate children.
Traffickers Are
Masters of manipulation
They prey upon vulnerabilities
They use psychological pressure, intimidation, fear, threats of harm and exposure, and isolation to control and sexually exploit the child
Common Online Grooming Pattern (simplified)OS2/DT7
It starts on mainstream platforms
(TikTok, Instagram, Roblox and other gaming platforms)
Traffickers build trust & deep relationships with children (grooming)
Conversations move to alternate platforms
Private (Discord)
Encrypted apps (Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal)
Disappearing apps (Snapchat, Instagram vanish mode/DMs)
They increase control, secrecy, and isolation from friends and family
How to Respond When Approached
Tell a Trusted Adult
And if the first person doesn’t respond, keep telling adults until someone listens and responds
It is known to take 9 times of telling adults before getting a helpful responseOS1
Take screenshots
Include the date/time/perpetrator’s online username/platform name (Snapchat, Instagram, Roblox, Minecraft, etc.)
Don’t be afraid
You are not at fault - even if you made a mistake
You will be supported and protected
You deserve to be safe
Contact law enforcement immediately
Call 911 if you are in immediate danger
Call non-emergency police in your area if it is not an emergency
Call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678), Text 233733
Whether you believe it or not, we know
You Are Worthy
You Are Precious
You Deserve to Be Safe
Warning Signs
Warning Signs
Warning signs can show up in different ways—what you notice in your child, how others interact with them, and factors that may increase vulnerability. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it’s worth taking a closer look.
Signs You May Notice in Your Child
Changes in behavior or patterns that may signal concern:
Receiving gifts through the mail (cell phones, gift cards, webcams, etc.)
Communicating with unknown numbers or contacts
Withdrawing from family and friends in favor of spending more time online
Becoming upset or anxious when unable to access devices or the internet
Quickly minimizing screens or hiding activity when you enter the room
Using multiple or secret accounts
Behaviors to Watch For from Others
Ways someone may attempt to groom, manipulate, or exploit a child:
Excessive flattery or attention (“love bombing”)
Sending gifts, money, or special favors
Introducing or discussing inappropriate or adult topics
Asking the child to keep secrets from trusted adults
Encouraging the child to move conversations to private or disappearing platforms
Requesting personal information, photos, or location details
Creating a “special” or exclusive relationship to build dependence
Attempting to isolate the child from family and friends
Using guilt, pressure, threats, or blackmail
Factors That Can Increase Risk
Some children may be more vulnerable to manipulation due to life circumstances. This is never the child’s fault.
Feeling isolated, lonely, or disconnected
Experiencing family conflict or major life changes
History of trauma, abuse, or neglect
Foster care or system involvement
Housing instability or homelessness
Desire for belonging, attention, or understanding
Financial stress within the family
Limited trusted adult connections
What Children Should Know
Remind your child:
If something feels uncomfortable, they can always come to you—
no matter what
You may also want to talk with your child about these common warning signs:
Someone asks you to move to a more private app or platform
Someone tells you to keep your conversations a secret
Someone asks for photos, personal information, or your location
Someone makes you feel like they are the only person who understands you
Someone pressures you, threatens you, or makes you feel uncomfortable
Someone who discusses adult subjects, like sex or violence
Someone who sends you gifts, like cell phones, money, or game credits
Let's Talk
Conversation Starters
Conversation Starters
Simple, age-appropriate ways to open ongoing, judgment-free conversations with children.
Simple, age-appropriate ways to open ongoing, judgment-free conversations with children.
Parent Guidance - How to structure conversations as children grow.
App & Platform Safety
App & Platform Safety
Targeted safety considerations and tips for commonly used apps, games, and platforms.
It’s Not the App — It’s the Response
Predators will go where children areOS3
Preventing your student from using one app will not stop the potential for them to be approached by a bad actor
Restricting a child from using a device does not ensure they will not have access. If they want access, they may find it at school, with friends, at stores, or in other settings
Instead, TEACH your children what to look for and how to respond
Monitoring Programs/Parental Controls for Every Device
Check with your school district to see if they offer a service that is already established in the district that you can use at home as well
Learn how to set parental controls for every device in your home: TV, internet, gaming, computer, smart watches, and more
VDOE Guide to Safe and Healthy Personal Device Use
Learn how to add parental controls & time limits
Internet Safety 101 Navigable Guides
Detailed comparative guides for parents and educators
Topics include: Smartphones for Children and Teens, Safety Settings for Popular Social Media Apps, Online Gaming Safety Settings, AI Assistants for Children & Teens Guide
Safe My Kid (formerly Teen Safe)
App Awareness
The apps children use change frequently. Rather than focusing on specific apps, it’s most important to understand how they are used and how to respond to potential risks.
Visually breaks apps into categories for parents to quickly identify good vs. bad apps
Explains over 170 popular apps using color-coded zones
Family-friendly digital safety learning offering
Online safety basics
Conversation starters for families
Interactive & game-based learning for adults and children
Safety resources produced by Enough is Enough, dedicated to educating, equipping, empowering, and engaging parents, educators, and caregivers to keep children safe online
Quick Guides -Printable information documents for Parents and Educators
Topics include: Pornography, Predators & Sex Trafficking, Mobile & Wireless Devices, Online Gaming, Cyber Bullying, Social Media, Sex Trafficking 101, Sextortion
References listed in Sources & Citations tab.
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