The digital age has changed how we all live.

Despite all its benefits, there are several times that the digital world can be harmful to the mental well-being of your child.

It is vital to protect your child from digital abuse and to offer your child support in navigating the digital world.

A simple way to protect your child from digital abuse is to inform them.

Children are young and naïve.

You can tell them about the dangers of social media and open a communication channel for that relationship.

Clearly defined rules provide directions for children.

It is essential to create a structure for children to be guided by.

Try to ensure your rules are very clear and broad enough to cover the digital abuse your child should be protected from.

It is not enough to simply discuss and create rules.

You should also be aware of your child's use of the internet.

Monitoring your child's internet use will help you to protect your child from digital abuse.

Find how to protect your child from digital abuse below:

Discuss the Digital World 

Generally, children are curious and active.

Most children today gain access to the digital world at a very young age.

Unaware of the dangers of the internet, your child can get exposed to inappropriate content.

Try to settle down with your child to talk about the internet.

Mention all the risks of the internet to your child and how to act if they encounter anything strange.

For instance, if any stranger sends a message, they should immediately come to you.

Consider at what age you want to discuss the online world with your child.

It is important to try to have control over how your child is introduced to the digital world.

It would help if you also tried to ensure that the discussions remain frequent as your child grows.

This is because the online world changes frequently.

Leave an open channel of communication with your child.

Try to be accessible to your child, so they can bring any challenges they encounter in the digital world to you.

When you communicate the risks of the digital world to your child, you protect your child from digital abuse.

Set Clear Rules 

Rules usually serve as a guide to each person

To protect your child from digital abuse, consider setting clearly defined restrictions on your child's use of the internet.

Try to anticipate the areas your child might need your guidance in the form of rules.

Before you create your rules, you might want to do deep research to learn about the latest risks and dangers on the internet.

Also, specify the consequences of defying any of the set rules.

It is essential for you to manage their internet usage.

Your child might become overindulgent in the use of gadgets.

To prevent this, you can make a rule on the days your child can use gadgets.

If your child grows used to restricted gadget use, your child is unlikely to be addicted to gadgets.

Consider holding yourself to the same standards as your child.

Your child might question some rules if you contradict them yourself.

When there is a notable difference between your device usage and your child's device usage, communicate the circumstance, such as work might require a more considerable amount of device usage.

Monitor Internet Usage

It is vital for you to know what your child is doing on the internet.

In some circumstances, your child will be unaware of the dangers of their actions.

When you review their history, you can rightly intervene.

It is understandable to want to respect the privacy of your child.

However, parental supervision is necessary to protect your child from digital abuse.

You can also adjust your monitoring levels to reflect the age and maturity of your child.

Consider informing your child that you monitor their usage.

This way, your child is aware of your supervision.

Informing your child can also establish accountability in your child.

Your child should be aware that accountability and supervision are required for internet use.

If you suspect a child is erasing their device history, try to take the appropriate steps to correct such acts.

To still gain access to the device history, you can contact your service provider to send you reports on your child's online activities.

Use Safeguards 

The digital world can be a dangerous place.

This is why there are several safeguards to help you protect your child from digital abuse.

There are several safeguards available for you to protect your child, try to select the most effective for your child.

Passwords are a very effective and straightforward way to use safeguards.

Put passwords on devices such the television, computer, the internet, and mobile devices.

Some parental controls use passwords to protect your child.

You can apply filters to restrict search results from retrieving inappropriate content.

The filter should allow you to choose the degree of filtering based on your child's age.

With filters, your child will likely be unaware of the existence of restrictions.

If you have an antivirus on your device, it can also protect your child from dangerous websites.

You can combine different safeguards to protect your child across various platforms.

Try to be careful your child does not learn your passwords to your digital safeguards.

Limit Internet Access 

It is impossible to get abused on the internet if you are currently not on the internet.

However, the internet has numerous healthy and educational benefits your child might enjoy.

The solution to what might appear to be a problem is to limit the access to the internet your child has.

Another effective way to protect your child from digital abuse is by managing the access your child has to the digital world.

Consider how much access you want your child to the digital world and implement it.

For instance, you can schedule screen time limits for your child.

You can also physically deprive your child of access to the digital world.

Instead of your child having a computer in his room, you can decide to have a family computer in a public place in your house.

This will prevent your child from unrestricted use of the computer.

The internet has its positive and negative sides.

Try to ensure your child is protected from the negative side but can gain the positives of the internet. 

Consider adjusting your child's internet access to only the positives of the digital world.

Conclusion

Even though there is no physical contact, the digital world can be dangerous for your child. 

The dangers might affect the mental well-being of your child.

To provide your child support, consider these ways to protect your child from digital abuse, such as discussing digital abuse, setting clear rules, monitoring your child's digital usage, limiting access, and using safeguards.

Resources 

https://www.imom.com/7-ways-to-protect-your-child-online/

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/online-safety-children-internet-experts-b2010322.html

https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-kids-safety-protect-your-kids-online.html#

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/keep-your-child-safe-online-at-home-covid-19

https://smartsocial.com/post/protect-your-kids-digital