Tactics for teachers

What can teachers of 10 to 11 year old children do to help keep them safe?

  • Reinforce that the Internet is a public place like the store, the neighbourhood, the playground or going to someone’s house and set the expectation that you will monitor them online to increase their safety.
  • Use filtering software on your school computers.
  • Help them find safe ways for privacy (offline diary, notebook, talk to friends face-to-face)
  • Teach them to be careful with whom they share their private thoughts, and to consider how it could be misused.
  • If using school computers, ensure that children are not communicating in chatrooms as they are typically unregulated.
  • Teach them to also respect their friends’ personal information including pictures. These should not be shared without their friends’ permission. Talk about the importance of valuing their own and other’s personal information.
  • Provide adult supervision for instant messaging (MSN, AOL, Yahoo!, etc.), emailing, online games and their chat components
  • Explain to children that there is no need or urgency to respond to messages that someone sends them. Teach children not to respond to messages that make them feel uncomfortable, scared or unsure and to tell a safe adult. Also teach them to take a leadership role and not forward inappropriate messages about others.
  • If exposed to inappropriate material online (sexually explicit, violent, etc.), teach them to tell a safe adult.
  • Review the difference between a ‘keep’ and a ‘speak’ secret. A ‘keep’ secret is harmless and will eventually come out, like a birthday present; a ‘speak’ secret is one that children are told never to tell, like being threatened by someone or a secret about touching or picture-taking. They need to tell a safe adult about ‘speak’ secrets.
  • Ensure they always get your permission before sharing personal information or accepting anything. Teach them what is meant by personal information and where on the Internet they may be asked for it.
  • Online profiles should be set up with adult supervision. Ensure screen names and nicknames are nondescript and do not reveal true interests, age, gender or pictures.
  • Web cams should only be used with direct parental supervision and pictures should only be accepted and sent with parental permission.
  • Explain that once a picture is sent online they lose control of what is done with it. The picture may never be completely removed from the Internet. Explain that information can be misused by some people so it needs to be protected.
  • Discuss the concept of anonymity on the Internet (people can pretend to be anyone).
  • Talk about friendship: what it is and isn’t. Explain that new friendships started online need to be adult supervised (children should never meet in person someone they meet online without an accompanying parent).
  • Teach them to incorporate personal safety strategies into their daily lives to reduce risks (online and offline).
  • Teach them assertiveness skills.
  • Communicate openly; listen and acknowledge feelings.
  • Ensure they have at least one safe adult they can talk to (parent, aunt, grandparent, teacher, etc.)

What can teachers of 11 to 12 year old children do to help keep them safe?

  • Reinforce that the Internet is a public place like the store, the neighbourhood, the playground or going to someone’s house, and set the expectation that you will monitor them online to increase their safety.
  • Use filtering software on your school computers.
  • Help them find safe ways for privacy (offline diary, notebook, talk to friends face-to-face).
  • Reinforce the importance of being careful with whom they choose to share their personal thoughts and information and consider how it can be misused.
  • Reinforce the importance of respecting other’s private information.
  • Provide adult monitoring of online activities.
  • Explain to children that there is no need or urgency to respond to messages. Teach children not to respond to messages that make them feel uncomfortable, scared or unsure and to tell a safe adult.
  • Explain to them that they may come across sexually graphic material online that is about violence and harm and not about a healthy relationship.
  • Provide adult supervision for web cam use.
  • Explain that once a picture is sent online they lose control of what is done with it and that it may never be completely removed from the Internet. Explain that information can be misused by some people so it needs to be protected.
  • Teach them that it is illegal for people to manufacture, possess or distribute naked or sexually explicit pictures of children under 18 years old. They need to tell a safe adult if they are presented with this situation.
  • Explain to children that it is illegal to threaten someone online or offline. If someone threatens them, they need to tell a safe adult.
  • Reinforce the concept of anonymity on the Internet and that people can pretend to be anyone.
  • Talk about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Explain that relationships started online need to be adult supervised. Children should never meet in person someone they first met online without an accompanying parent.
  • Communicate openly; listen and acknowledge feelings.
  • Ensure they have more than one safe adult they can talk to (parent, aunt, grandparent, teacher, etc.).
  • Talk to them about the kind of person they feel they are and the kind of person they want to be. Discuss positive role models.
  • Encourage involvement in offline activities and focus on their identified strengths.