During the pandemic, many children and young people have spent more time online than usual.
In the month Police Scotland reported a 13.4% increase in reports of online abuse and exploitation of young people, we’re running our Keeping Kids Safe Online campaign.
Mobile phones, tablets, laptops and computers have been essential tools for keeping Scotland’s children educated and entertained, especially during lockdown. Sadly, more time online has increased the risk of online exploitation and abuse, making it more important than ever that parents and carers learn how to protect their children from internet-savvy online abusers.
The key to helping keep your kids safe is to be curious. Be calm, friendly and chatty about what your children are doing online – ask them lots of questions about what they look at online and who they are talking to. And don’t just ask them just once, make it a habit to have a regular check in with them about their online lives.
We want to encourage parents and carers to be curious and actively interested in what their children are doing online, and to learn how to help keep them safe from the dangers of online abuse or exploitation.
Read more about how you can keep children safe online here:
https://www.childprotection.scot/stay-safe-online/