Setting up a cyber safe home involves three key steps. It is what we call the ABC of online safety.
Before giving your child access to a device and apps like social media and games, it is absolutely essential they are set up to be safe. We’ve learned about privacy settings and parental controls above. Implementing these controls allows parents to determine what kids have access to, and when they have access to it, ensuring that what they access is as safe as possible.
TIP: Explore what apps, games and social media platforms are appropriate for your child to be accessing. Here are some resources to help you make informed choices about whether your child should use a specific app/game/media:
Setting boundaries is about establishing clear rules and expectations about how children are using their device. Accessing the internet is a privilege, and young people also need to show they can be responsible in these environments by sticking to the rules. We’ve learned a lot about boundaries in the last module.
Boundaries are essential not only to support your child’s wellbeing, but to help parents teach their children the difference between right and wrong. Reinforcing and following through with expectations on boundaries when your child doesn’t follow them is also just as (if not more) important than the boundaries themselves. Expect rule-breaking, (it will happen), but it can also be a useful “teachable moment.”
What about managing screen time?
Screentime is a topic that often comes up when discussing boundaries and the recommendation from The American Paediatrics Association for teens includes:
Very importantly, focus on quality of the content should dictate the quantity:
How can parents effectively put boundaries in place to help manage screen time?
TIPS:
1. Set up a Screen Time Schedule
2. Watch this video on how to create a Family Technology Plan to establish clear rules about device use and online behaviours.
3. Focus Positive Behaviour Goals instead of punitive:
4. Module behaviours that you are trying to reinforce.
What happens when rules are broken?
Inevitably, there will be times when rules are broken, and consequences will need to be enforced to ensure children learn from their mistakes.
As a starting point, always refer to your Family Technology Plan, which outlines clear rules and commitments and why they are important. When things go wrong, communicate with your child why they think the rule was there in the first place and ask for their feedback on how they could improve the situation’s outcome if it happens again in the future.
Use or change technology (parental controls/device management) to enforce your rules and help them stick to designated times.
IDEA: You may even want to consider using a locked box overnight or InChargeBox so your child can’t sneak access to their devices while you are asleep! This can be a simple way to help remove the temptation and possible source of conflict within your family home.
However, if your child continues to exhibit defiant behaviour you may like to speak to your child’s carer, teacher or the school counsellor for support or seek professional support.
Please see our online safety expert advice on rule-breaking for more information.
We have talked about 1:1 communication strategies for parents with children in the previous modules, and this remains an incredibly important part of creating a cyber safe home. In addition to trust and strength based communication at home, it is important to be aware of ways technology can facilitate open communication with other trusted adults for your child too. There are many ways that technology can assist young people in speaking with and seeking help, such as:
There are also many tech tools which help YLWD to access the web to communicate, for example:
Web Access tools for the visually impaired:
Web access tools for people with physical disabilities:
We acknowledge that none of these assistive technology tools are perfect, and can be costly. Website owners also need to make sure their sites are designed in a way which doesn’t just meet accessibility guidelines, but in a way which allows all people to equally access and use the web.
Regardless of how your child communicates, it’s important to educate them about online safety which is central to helping them thrive in the digital world.
TIPS:
This Online Safety Training is a joint initiative between Interaction and ySafe and has been made possible by funding from the eSafety Commissioner's Online Safety Grants program.