Staying Safe Online: How to Keep Your Child Protected
- Liaura App
- Aug 14
- 2 min read
The internet can feel like a giant playground – it’s exciting, buzzing with activity, and there are so many different possibilities. But, as with many exciting things in life, it comes with risks, with many of them hidden.
Despite the minimum age for creating an account on major social media platforms being thirteen, studies have shown that many users are younger, with numerous young people finding ways to create accounts for themselves even when they are not the required age. In fact, data shows that 50% of children aged three to twelve use at least one social media app or visit a social media site regularly. [1]
As parents, we want our children to enjoy the benefits of being online, without stumbling into the dangers. The first step is to be aware of the risks. So, let’s break down everything you need to know about staying safe online and how to make it a team effort between you and your child.
Social Media Risks
Risks can be placed into three main categories: privacy risks, cyberbullying and stranger danger.
Privacy risks include posting personal or identifiable information (e.g. school, locations, routines), whether that is through written content or photographs that reveal personal details unintentionally.
As profiles can often be created freely and anonymously, it can often allow bullying to continue with no fear of repercussions. Continuous exposure to online aggression through cyberbullying can lead individuals to view this behaviour as more acceptable - especially if it is rewarded socially through likes, comments and other engagement. [2] Cyberbullying may include public shaming, harassment and exclusion.
Additionally, this anonymity allows users to create fake profiles, with predators posing as peers. Without strict measures in place, you can’t guarantee your child is talking to the real person behind the profile.
Combatting Social Media Safety
So, how can we ensure our children’s safety online?
Create posting rules: for example, not sharing photos of uniform, no tagging locations in real-time.
Followers: only accept people they know personally.
Check links: question suspicious links or offers that seem too good to be true.
‘Safe to tell’: children won’t get in trouble for telling a parent about something that makes them uncomfortable online.
Regular digital check-ins: short chats about what they’ve seen online. Are there any funny, interesting or worrying stories, news, or photos they have seen recently?
Normalise the conversation: talk about social media like you would about school or friendships, so your child doesn’t feel the need to hide their activity.
Social Media Platforms for Children
Liaura has been developed to ensure children aged 6-13 have the opportunity to learn, play and connect through social media safely.
Built with safeguarding at its core, our app uses a combination of human and technology-assisted moderation, strict parental controls, and proactive safeguarding policies with a safeguarding-led design. Team members review sensitive content and are DBS-checked and safeguarding-trained.
As a parent, you’ll have insights and controls in your parent area to monitor your child’s friend list and their activities. This helps you to manage screen time and protect your children from online harm, whilst encouraging positive digital habits.
Online safety isn’t about restricting freedom; it’s about empowering your children to make smart choices.
