Make safety an everyday conversation.

Start with a conversation, not an interrogation

Choose a calm moment and ask one open question. 'What do you like about the places you spend time online?' can create a more useful conversation than demanding an account of every message.

Follow with a specific invitation: 'If someone pressures you, asks you to keep an uncomfortable secret, or threatens you, you can come to me. We will work on the next step together.' These are conversation starters, not a script a child must follow.

Build a small family safety plan

• Name trusted adults a child can approach when the first person is unavailable.
• Review who can contact an account, see posts, or view location information.
• Discuss what to do when a conversation becomes uncomfortable or threatening.
• Keep official reporting links somewhere easy to find.
• Return to the conversation as apps, friendships, and circumstances change.

Use age-appropriate materials to support the conversation. NCMEC's NetSmartz offers online-safety videos, activities, and resources for children, families, and educators.

Source: NCMEC: NetSmartz Online Safety Education

For churches, schools, and volunteer groups

Make the adults responsible for safeguarding easy to identify. Explain how people can raise a concern and where urgent concerns should go. Use established child-protection procedures and official training appropriate to your organization.

A public awareness event should give people a usable resource and a reporting route. It should not ask attendees to contact suspected offenders, investigate families, or share children's private experiences.

When a child tells you something is wrong

Listen without blame. Keep the immediate focus on safety and appropriate support. If there is immediate danger in the United States, call 911. Report suspected child sexual exploitation through NCMEC's CyberTipline.

This page supports awareness. It does not replace an organization's safeguarding obligations or advice from qualified child-protection professionals.

Questions, answered.