Internet Safety for Students: Top Threats & Tips for Teachers

Internet safety for students is an ongoing concern for educators. Just as educators and students begin to understand the dangers, new hazards pop up, requiring schools to adjust their tactics to ensure student safety. This can feel like a whack-a-mole game for educators and administrators. This article addresses the top three internet safety threats that can inform technology safety for students. Specifically, tips that can prevent identity theft, exposure to inappropriate content and cyberbullying—three of the most common concerns for internet safety policy for schools.

Top Internet Safety Threats to Students

Children continue to access the internet and apps at younger and younger ages. Not only are they passively consuming content, but they are active participants. This leaves them vulnerable to online threats. Below are the three most common threats students face online:

1. Identity Theft

Identity Theft is a threat to young children. The Washington Post shares that “identity theft affects 1.25 million kids — or about 1 out of 50 children — every year, according to the research firm Javelin.” The younger a child is, the more likely they are to be victimized by identity theft.

2. Exposure to Inappropriate Content

Exposure to inappropriate content can begin at any age, but on average by age 12 and is most common in middle and high school when students are more likely to have a cell phone. This can include grooming, sexting, and sextortion. Forbes indicates that “more than 50% of tweens (kids ages 10 to 12) have been exposed to inappropriate online content.”

3. Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying happens at all ages but peaks in middle and high schools when students are more likely to have a cell phone. According to the Pew Research Center, “nearly half of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online, with physical appearance being seen as a relatively common reason why.”

Tips for Teaching Internet Safety to Students

Teaching internet safety effectively requires integrating it into your students’ daily learning in ways that resonate with them. Here are some practical tips to make internet safety education engaging and impactful:

1. Incorporate it into the Curriculum: Make internet safety a regular part of your teaching rather than a one-off lesson. By weaving it into subjects they already study, students can see its relevance in everyday contexts.
2. Make it Relevant: Connect internet safety lessons to the specific sites, apps, and social media platforms your students use. Discuss real-life scenarios they might encounter online to make the information more applicable and memorable.
3. Use Games and Fun Activities: Turn learning into a game or interactive activity to keep students engaged. Online safety games and quizzes can make the topic more enjoyable and easier to grasp. We’ve compiled a list of our Top Five Internet Safety Games for Elementary Students.
4. Ask for Their Input: Involve students in the learning process by asking them about their concerns or what they want to learn more about. This approach ensures the content is relevant to their experiences and helps address their specific fears or questions.

By making internet safety education a part of the curriculum, relevant to their online experiences, and engaging, you help students build the skills they need to navigate the digital world safely. Next, let’s explore specific safety tips to teach students to address the three most common threats they face online.

5 Identity Theft Safety Tips to Teach Students

Identity theft is a serious concern, even for young students. Teaching them how to protect their personal information is crucial for their online safety.

1. “Don’t Click” Rule

Teach students not to “click” links, especially in emails and social media sites. Clicking on malicious links can lead to phishing attempts and identity theft.

2. Personal Information

Review what personal information means. Teach students to not share their personal information such as: actual name, age, birthday, the town they live in or any details about their location.

3. Strong Passwords

Teach students how to create a good passphrase. Some tips for strong passwords include:

• Use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
• Longer is always safer, a passphrase instead of a password.
• NO personal information such as name, city, or birth year.
• Use different passphrases for every account.
• Change your password regularly.

4. Parental Involvement

Educate parents on how to freeze their child’s credit. Ideally, this will be done at birth, but the younger the child is, the more protection it affords.

5. Resources

Direct students and parents to additional resources for learning about identity theft, such as Child Identity Fraud: The Perils of Too Many Screens and Social Media by the Javelin Strategy & Research.

6 Inappropriate Content Safety Tips to Teach Students

Young students are naturally curious but may stumble upon content that’s not suitable for their age. Help them understand and handle these situations effectively.

1. Body Clues

Discuss what it might feel like in their body (stomach, fingers, mind) when they feel weird about something they saw, heard, or read. These are clues your body is giving you that something is wrong.

• The stomach might feel butterflies or upset.
• The fingers/hands might feel warm, clammy, or clenched.
• The mind might feel confused.
• The heart might be beating faster.
• The chest might feel tight, making it hard to breathe.

2. Open Dialogue

Begin an open dialog about what they might see and do online that might make them feel uncomfortable. This is the time for educators and parents to form alliances with children. Examples are clicking a link they thought was safe but wasn’t. Or chatting/messaging someone online that they thought was safe, but now they are unsure.

• Brainstorm how they will respond, including blocking and unfriending people online and how they will tell an adult.
• If a student comes to any adult with something that has gone wrong, do not threaten to take away their device or privileges. This prevents children from bringing their problems to an adult’s attention.

3. Predator Awareness

Go into detail about how groomers and sextortionists operate.

• Groomers will try to separate victims from their support by saying things like, “Don’t tell your parent. They will never approve.”
• Groomers will want victims to keep their relationship secret from adults and friends with comments like, “This is just between us. We are the only two who will understand.”
• Groomers will attempt to desensitize the victim to sexual situations by touching, watching or discussing sexual topics.

4. Predator Warning Signs

Teach students the warning signs that they are talking to an online predator. Minors are less likely to be victimized if they can recognize these patterns.

• They sound extremely nice, concerned, non-threatening and comforting.
• They want to have conversations in private, one-on-one. For example, they won’t expose themselves by leaving a comment publicly on your post.
• They ask for personal information, sometimes in sneaky ways. “I used to live in ____. Do you know it?”
• They already know things about you because they have searched your social media and followers.
• They ask you many questions about your day, friends, what you did at school, or anything to keep the conversation going.
• They ALWAYS agree with you. This is a common trick to develop your trust.

5. Reporting and Support

Teach students that they can and should come to a teacher or other adult if something makes them uncomfortable. Many don’t because they fear getting in trouble and losing their phones.

6. Resources

Direct students and parents to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for more information.

2 Cyberbullying Safety Tips to Teach Students

Cyberbullying can have serious effects on students’ mental health and well-being. Teaching them how to handle and prevent it is essential for a safe online experience.

1. Teach students to be active bystanders

An active bystander speaks up and tries to stop the bullying online or in person. Here are some ways your students can be active bystanders when they notice bullying:

• Leave the area, the group chat or unfollow.
• Say aloud or post, “This is wrong” or “This makes me uncomfortable.”
• Ask other friends by name if they agree with this. Maybe they will leave, too.
• Tell an adult or teacher.
• Learn more here: https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/research-resources/bystanders-are-essential.

2. Teach students what to do if they are cyberbullied

Teach students not to respond to cyberbullying. Instead, they should:

• Show the message to someone who can help, such as a parent, trusted adult, law enforcement, or school counselor.
• Report to the social media provider, website, or app; every website has reporting procedures.
• Create a new account.
• Report to CyberTip.org.
• Report it to your school’s reporting system.

Internet safety for students is an ongoing concern for educators. However, most issues, such as identity theft, inappropriate content, and cyberbullying, thrive in ignorance. Teaching students about internet safety makes them less likely to become victims of these crimes and more likely to ask for help when needed.