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Children are spending more time online to study, play games and connect with friends but it is important that they have the skills to identify the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships online. By equipping students with online safety knowledge and skills we can ensure they know what to do if they start to feel unsafe online.

What is grooming?

Grooming is when an adult tries to build a relationship with a child so that they can sexually exploit them. Exploitation isn’t always physical, it can happen online. Groomers try to build an online relationship with the child through social media, chatting in a forum, chatting in an online game or via any other platform for online communication.

If you want to learn more about how groomers get close to children and how they keep control, you can refer to Netsafe(external link).

Grooming and online gaming

Some individuals can target children online while they are playing games. Remind students never to give out personal information to anyone while gaming like their name, age or school they attend. Remind them to never meet anyone offline who they only know through gaming.

Some groomers may try and encourage children to move from the game into a private chat room. Just like you wouldn’t go to a different place in the real world with a  stranger, you shouldn’t go onto a different game or platform with someone you only know online.

For more information about gaming safety visit Netsafe(external link).

Educator resources

Safeguarding Children(external link) have developed an eLearning module for anyone working with tamariki in the intermediate sector, for example, a teacher, teacher's aide, parent/whānau helper or administrator. The module provides information on the prevention of child abuse, and how to recognise and respond to child safety and wellbeing concerns.

Classroom resources

The below resources can be used by educators to reinforce online safety skills around grooming, consent and healthy relationships:

  • NZ Police and Kidpower International have developed the Kidpower Confident Kids Programme(external link) to develop young people’s social-emotional safety skills to help them have safe experiences online and offline. It includes child protection strategies and coaching strategies to help build children’s safety skills and confidence without scaring them.
  • Online friends and strangers(external link) is a presentation that encourages students to think about their online friendships and what to do if an online friendship becomes unsafe.

 Videos

  • The Mighty Heros(external link): an animated series from the eSafety that teaches children aged 4–8-years-old about trusting their feelings and asking for help when something doesn’t feel right.

Mighty Heroes| Dusty the frilled neck lizard – I trust my feelings

 

  • Hector’s World(external link): an engaging animated series supported by lesson plans and worksheets, offering 4–8-year-old children practical guidance on protecting their personal information and figuring out who is trustworthy online.