How Educators Can Teach Digital Safety to Youth
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, youth have incredible opportunities at their fingertips, but they also face serious risks like online grooming, sextortion, and the misuse of personal information. As educators, you have the power to shape the next generation's digital experiences, empowering your students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive—and stay safe—online. By going beyond basic digital literacy and tackling crucial topics like consent, safe information sharing, and identifying grooming tactics, you can equip young people to protect themselves and make informed decisions in the digital world.
Students learning about online predators and grooming
Here are strategies you can start implementing today to ensure your students not only navigate the online world safely but also with confidence and awareness!
1. Teach the Importance of Consent in Digital Spaces
One of the foundational lessons for online safety is understanding consent, especially in digital interactions. Many students may not realize that consent applies not only to physical boundaries but also to sharing personal information, images, or videos online.
Discuss digital consent: Help students understand that sharing personal content requires permission, just as it does in the physical world. Emphasize the idea that they have a right to say no to sharing their images or videos, and that the normalization of such information sharing does not justify doing something they are not fully confident about.
Empower them to respect their peers: Educate students on how asking for photos or videos, in addition to pressuring someone online puts the other person at risk of vulnerability and exploitation, even if that is not the intention.
2. Preventing Sextortion: What Students Need to Know
Sextortion is a growing issue where perpetrators trick or coerce young people into sharing explicit content and then use it as blackmail. Educators can play a key role in educating students on how to recognize and avoid these dangerous situations.
Explain how sextortion works: Talk with your students about the prevalence of sextortion and how the tactics that these perpetrators use. Focus on how easy it is to build trust online by pretending to be a peer, sharing intimate images first as a lure, or even using AI to create photographic and live deepfakes.
Encourage open communication: Let students know that if they ever find themselves in a situation where they're being threatened or blackmailed, they should immediately tell a trusted adult. Remind them that they are not at fault and that there is a way out. There are resources that can help them get control back over their images and legislation to protect them.
3. Recognizing and Preventing Online Grooming
Online grooming involves predators building relationships with young people with the intention of exploiting them. Educating students on the signs of grooming can help them recognize dangerous interactions before they escalate.
Teach the signs of grooming: Help students recognize the red flags of online grooming, such as someone asking for personal information too quickly, excessive flattery, or requests to keep interactions secret.
Focus on behaviours: Rather than teaching students about predators, focus on educating students about predatory behaviour, unhealthy behaviour, and unsafe behaviour. Remind them that if they are ever unsure about an online connection, to get a second opinion from someone they trust.
Resources to Help You
At ExEd, we offer an extensive online curriculum that covers all aspects of digital safety, from preventing online grooming to understanding consent and protecting personal information. Our interactive lessons and presentations are designed to be engaging for students in grades 3-12, helping educators address these critical issues in age-appropriate ways.
Our curriculum includes:
Video lessons on sextortion, grooming, consent, and online safety.
Interactive presentations that help students identify risks and make informed decisions online.
Resources for educators and parents to foster ongoing discussions about these topics at home and in the classroom.
To learn more about how our programs can help protect your students from digital exploitation, visit Exploitation Education Institute or contact us to book a consultation.
By teaching digital safety and incorporating lessons on sextortion, online grooming, and safe information sharing, educators can empower their students to be smart, cautious, and confident digital citizens. Together, we can protect the next generation from exploitation and foster safer online communities.
