Digital Citizenship Conference Panel

Online Security & Privacy Tips to Keep Students Safe

How can we keep children safe and secure online? What are the next steps that parents should take?

As soon as your child has access to the Internet, step in and set safe boundaries for them because a lot of the things that they are being exposed to online is unintentional. What I suggest that parents do, especially parents that did not grow up in an age with social media, is to look for opportunities to learn more about tech. Whether your school holds a seminar, or you find an online conference, understand what your kids have access to and what you can do next to keep them safe online. Download the apps that your kid wants to download and look at them. Then look at reviews and determine whether or not the app is appropriate for your kids. Ask the same questions that you would if your child was going to another child’s house. Where is your child going on the Internet and what are they going to be exposed to?

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About the Author

Clayton Cranford
Clayton Cranford is a retired Sergeant from Orange County Sheriff's Department in California and owner of Total Safety Solutions LLC. Clayton is one of the nation’s leading law enforcement educators on social media, child safety, and behavioral threat assessments. Clayton is the author of the definitive book on cyber safety for families, “Parenting in the Digital World.” Clayton has more than 20 years of teaching experience and was awarded the 2015 National Bullying Prevention Award from the School Safety Advocacy Council, and the 2015 American Legion Medal of Merit. Clayton was a member of the County's Behavioral Threat Assessment Team, Crisis Negotiation Team, School Resource Officer program, and Juvenile Bureau.