A practical guide from the ChayaNetwork team for the moments when family life and the online world meet.
The most important message: tell me, and you are not in trouble
People who exploit children may build trust, ask for private images, or use threats to demand money or more images. If your child tells you something has happened, start by thanking them. Do not blame them, threaten punishment, or immediately take away the device as the first response. UNICEF recommends a supportive response after negative online experiences: UNICEF: supporting a child after a negative online experience.
What to do in the first hour
- Make sure your child is safe and not alone with the person contacting them.
- Do not pay, negotiate, or send more images. Paying does not guarantee the threats will stop.
- Save the username, profile link, messages, and dates. Do not redistribute intimate images.
- Report and block the account after preserving relevant evidence.
- Contact the platform and appropriate local child-protection or law-enforcement support if there are threats or exploitation.
Protect privacy going forward
Review who can message, tag, or see your child’s posts. Talk about private information, location sharing, and why a trusted-looking profile can still be fake. Make sure your child knows they can leave a chat and come to you without having to explain everything perfectly.
A note for parents
Ask for professional help if your child feels unsafe, frightened, or overwhelmed. Keep the conversation focused on safety and support, not on how the child “should have known.” A reliable relationship is one of the most useful protections a family can build.
Good digital habits grow through small, repeatable steps.