Is Your Child Safe Online? Protecting Kids in a Digital World
June is Internet Safety Month—a critical reminder that while the internet offers endless ways to learn, connect and create, it also brings real risks. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) continues to see alarming increases in online exploitation. In 2024 alone, reports of online enticement to our CyberTipline rose by 192%.
Internet Safety Month is a time to pause, check in and make sure your child is prepared for the digital world. The good news? You’re not in this alone.
NCMEC offers free tools and resources to help families prevent harm before it happens. A great place to start is our Generative AI (GAI) tip sheet, which helps parents and caregivers understand and talk about emerging technologies like AI and how they can be misused.
Talking about internet safety with younger kids? “Into the Cloud” is a fun, animated video series that teaches online safety in an age-appropriate way. The first two episodes of our brand-new season are out now—with another episode coming soon. For slightly older children and teens, our NetSmartz Healthy Relationships video helps kids identify exploitive or unhealthy behaviors in relationships that are often part of various kinds of victimizations online.
With the increase in online enticement reports, NCMEC continues to see a rise in reports of sextortion. To teach parents and caregivers about the dangers, NCMEC created “No Escape Room,” an interactive film that helps users recognize the signs of sextortion before it’s too late.
And if explicit images are shared online, “Take It Down” is here to help. The free service allows young people to take control by removing or stopping the spread of nude, partially nude or sexually explicit images from participating platforms.
The first step in prevention is education. This month, and every month, take the time to talk to the kids in your life about how to stay safe online. For tipsheets, interactive activities and more, visit missingkids.org/netsmartz.