TOP TIPSIPS TOTOHELPHELP YOU KEEP CHILDREN SAFE

Maintain as much interest in your child’s online world as their “real” world. Talk about what sites, games and apps they like and who they talk to.

Instigate tech-free time at the dinner table or for a set period of time before bed.

Beware predators. Keep an eye on conversations and alert your child to suspicious signs, such as someone asking for personal details.

Think before posting. Content is hard to erase. What your child sends out into the digital world is difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve. Photos can be copied and kept forever.

Don’t feed trolls. Disable comments, block cyberbullies and never reply to negativity.

Ensure that your child’s posts aren’t public. Cyberstalkers are resourceful so check privacy settings.

Don’t share personal details. Tell your child not to reveal full name, phone number, address, usernames or social media accounts to online strangers.

Think about the motivation behind a sext. Identifying why a sext was sent as a “test” to prove trust, to seek validation or approval or for pure shock value can help to put it in perspective.

Build trust. Let your child know they can discuss anything disturbing they see.

Google your child. Check what others can see. Are they giving too much away?