Discussing Online Safety
We are delighted to introduce the first two in our series of videos modeling healthy and empowered adolescent responses to online safety issues. On social media, in classrooms, and in our prevention work, these videos offer opportunities to create community change. For experienced, professional support in delivering and organizing these community conversations, including for how to facilitate trauma-informed prevention spaces, please reach out to your local rape crisis center, and if you’re a rape crisis center in North Carolina, NCCASA’s prevention team is here to help!
When thinking about how or if to respond to a message, or talking to youth about online safety, we can ask:
- How does this message make me feel?
- Does this message match my current relationship with the person who sent it, or is it “out of left field”?
- Do I know the person who sent it? If a message is from a stranger, does their profile look like it’s been around a while, that their posts seem realistic and from a person, or like it’s random stuff or “marketing” a thing or idea?
Unsure how to navigate uncomfortable DMs or unexpected follow requests? Sometimes talking through these questions with a trusted person can help us know what we need to do!
And parents, one way to be that trusted adult is to keep the lines of communication open. It can be scary to see the messages our kids get, but when we take a deep breath, steady ourselves, and listen, we are better able to respond from the heart and help our children learn how to navigate their lives thoughtfully.
