UNDERSTANDING ONLINE HARMS

KNOW THE RISKS
PROTECT KIDS

Kids face growing harms across every
platform as Big Tech designs new ways to
keep young users engaged.

These risks are everywhere—
built into the digital world kids navigate every day.

Understanding harms is the first step.
Below are highlights of common risks,
plus tips and tools to help adults spot problems
early and guide kids toward safer choices.

Please explore, ask questions,
and join us to protect kids online.

ONLINE HARMS

  • AI chatbots help with homework, answer questions, and can even feel like someone to talk to.  But they are designed to keep kids engaged—not necessarily safe.

    • WHY KIDS ARE DRAWN TO THEM

      • They feel instant, non-judgmental, and always available.

      • This can make them seem like a friend or safe place to share.

    • THE RISKS

      • They do not think, feel, or protect like real people.

      • Kids may trust them too much, share private information, or rely on them for advice and emotional support.

      • Chatbots can be wrong, sound convincing when they are wrong, and encourage dependence instead of real human connection.

    • WHAT KIDS NEED TO KNOW

      • Chatbots are not real people.

      • Don’t share personal information.

      • Go to trusted adults for important or emotional issues.

    • BOTTOM LINE

      • While AI chatbots can be useful tools—they should never replace real human connection, judgment, or care.

    ➡️ DIG DEEPER

  • Something interesting about Buying Drugs Online can go here. It cane be two sentences, almost like a ELI5 preview of what’s to come.

    • WHAT HAS CHANGED

      • For many teens, buying drugs can be as simple as sending a message on social media.

    • WHY SNAPCHAT IS CENTRAL

      • Snapchat is often cited because it offers disappearing messages, private one-to-one communication, easy connections, and a false sense of privacy.

      • These same features that attract teens also attract drug sellers.

    • HOW IT WORKS

      • A dealer is often found through friends, social media posts, search terms, or even emojis.

      • Communication happens privately on Snapchat, pills are made to look legitimate, and delivery may happen locally, by mail, or through nearby pickup.

    • THE BIGGEST DANGER: FAKE PILLS

      • Many pills sold online are not real medications.

      • They are made to look legitimate but may contain fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid.

      • The Drug Enforcement Administration warns that many counterfeit pills contain fentanyl.

    • WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT

      • In the past, drugs were usually obtained through known contacts.

      • Today, buyers often do not know the seller, pills look identical to real medication, and there is no way to verify what is inside.

      • The danger is no longer just drug use—it is unknowingly taking something lethal.

    • FINAL THOUGHT

      • Today, you do not actually know what is in the pill.

      • What feels like a simple DM can become a life-altering—or life-ending—decision.

  • What This Is
    Cyberbullying is persistent, public, often anonymous, and can follow a child 24/7. Unlike traditional bullying, it does not end when school ends.

    Why It Is Different
    Messages spread instantly, harmful content can be shared repeatedly, and anonymous or disappearing-message apps reduce accountability. Harm can be public—or completely hidden from adults.

    How It Shows Up
    Cyberbullying includes harassing messages, rumors, embarrassing photos or videos, fake accounts, anonymous apps, impersonation, and exclusion from online groups.

    The Impact
    Cyberbullying is linked to anxiety, depression, isolation, academic decline, and, in severe cases, self-harm.

    Why Kids Stay Silent
    Many children stay silent because they fear losing phone privileges, feel embarrassed, or worry it will make things worse.

    What Helps
    Keep communication open. Encourage screenshots, reporting, and blocking when needed. Involve schools when appropriate, and remind kids that asking for help is a strength.

    Upstander vs. Bystander
    A bystander watches and says nothing. An upstander supports the targeted person, reports harmful content, and refuses to join the pile-on.

    Final Thought
    What once happened in whispers now happens on screens—and can be shared, repeated, or hidden in ways adults may never see.

  • What Is a Challenge?
    A challenge is something shared for others to try, record, and post. Once it spreads, platforms push it even further.

    When Does It Become a Dare?
    It becomes a dare when pressure takes over: “Everyone’s doing it.” “Prove it.” “Don’t be scared.” When pressure removes choice, it is no longer just a challenge.

    Why Kids Are More Vulnerable
    Teens are still developing judgment and self-control. Emotions feel stronger, risks feel less real, and peer approval can outweigh safety.

    Why It Spreads
    The more shocking something is, the more attention it gets. The more attention it gets, the more the algorithm pushes it. Platforms reward engagement—not safety.

    The Real Risk
    Some challenges involve physical harm, cutting off oxygen, dangerous stunts, or unknown substances. What looks like a moment online can have permanent consequences.

    What Kids Need to Hear
    Pause. Think. Choose.

    What Adults Can Do
    Talk early. Stay calm. Make sure kids know they can come to you without fear of punishment.

    Bottom Line
    Online challenges spread fast, reward risk, and push limits—sometimes too far.

  • Game → Chat → Private Platform → Trust → Exploitation

    What Makes This Combo Riskier
    Roblox     is more than a game—it combines gaming, chat, and social connection with people kids may not know in real life, using Discord, a private messaging platform with group chats, direct messages, and voice rooms.

    How Risk Grows
    kids play a game, move to Discord, then continue in private messages. What starts in a visible space quickly moves somewhere adults cannot easily see.

    Why It Matters
    While these platforms are built for connection and communication, they can also make it easier for someone to manipulate a child—especially when kids do not know who they are really talking to, conversations move to private messages, or someone asks for secrecy, personal details, or photos.

    What Helps
    Keep communication open. Ask who they are talking to without judgment. Remind them: moving chats, keeping secrets, or sharing personal information are red flags.

    Final Thought
    It is not just about what kids are playing. It is about who they are talking to—and where that conversation leads.

  • Exploitation Has Moved into the Digital World
    This does not begin with abduction. It begins with a message—and that message can reach anyone, anywhere, at any time.

    How It Works Online
    Human trafficking often begins with access, communication, and manipulation—through phones, apps, and online platforms.

    The Digital Shift
    Traffickers no longer need physical access. They connect through social media, gaming platforms, and private messaging, then move conversations where adults cannot see.

    How Grooming Works
    Most cases follow a pattern: Contact → Trust → Isolation → Secrecy → Exploitation
    It often starts with attention and connection, then shifts to secrecy and control.

    Why Minors Are Vulnerable
    Kids and teens are still developing judgment and decision-making. A need for connection and validation can make manipulation look like friendship.

    Warning Signs
    Watch for unknown online contacts, requests to move chats private, pressure for secrecy, emotional dependence, or requests for personal information or images.

    Key Takeaway
    Human trafficking often begins with: Access → Trust → Isolation → Control
    Prevention starts by recognizing the pattern early.

    Final Thought
    It does not start with force. It starts with access, trust, and one message at the wrong time.

  • How Predators Work Online
    Most kids are taught, “Don’t talk to strangers.” But online, strangers do not look like strangers.

    How It Happens
    Predators often pretend to be kids, start friendly conversations, build trust, and move chats to private spaces.

    Where It Happens
    It happens on gaming platforms, messaging apps, social media, group chats, and live streams.

    Red Flags
    Watch for secrecy, private chats, personal questions, “Don’t tell your parents,” or pressure to pull away from friends and family. Secrecy is one of the biggest red flags.

    Why Kids Are Vulnerable
    Predators rely on connection, not force. They target kids who are curious, lonely, seeking validation, or trying to fit in.

    How Grooming Works
    Contact → Connection → Isolation → Control
    It starts with trust, then shifts to secrecy and manipulation.

    What Kids Need to Hear
    Not everyone online is who they say they are. If something feels off, it probably is.

    What Adults Can Do
    Keep communication open. Ask who they are talking to without judgment. Remind them: moving chats, keeping secrets, or sharing personal information are red flags.

    Bottom Line
    Predators rely on trust, time, and secrecy. By the time it feels wrong, it can already be serious.

  • What Kids Think vs. The Reality
    It can feel private. Once it is sent, privacy is gone.  Sexting is not flirting. Flirting is conversation. Sexting creates a permanent record that can be shared, saved, and used against you.

    Why Kids Do It
    Peer pressure, attention, validation, curiosity, or wanting to fit in.

    What Can Go Wrong
    Screenshots are instant. Images can be shared, used for pressure or blackmail, and spread far beyond the original person.

    The Real Risks
    Embarrassment, bullying, exploitation, coercion, and sometimes legal consequences.

    What Kids Need to Hear
    If you send it, you lose control of it. Pressure is a red flag. Tell a trusted adult.

    What Adults Can Do
    Talk early. Stay calm. Focus on support, not shame, so kids feel safe asking for help.

    Bottom Line
    What feels private can become public—and permanent—very quickly.

  • What It Looks Like Today
    Gambling does not start in casinos anymore. It starts in games—and can lead to real gambling before kids or parents recognize it.

    How It Starts
    Loot boxes, skin betting, casino-style mobile games, and nonstop sports betting content are built into the platforms kids already use every day.

    The Progression
    Loot Boxes → Item Betting → Casino-Style Games → Real Gambling
    What looks like harmless play can become a pathway to real gambling.

    Yes—Kids Are Spending Real Money
    Loot boxes and in-game betting often involve real money, but to kids, it feels like part of the game—not gambling.

    Why This Matters
    Random rewards, “almost wins,” and fast repeated play are designed to keep kids playing and spending.

    What Kids Need to Hear
    If money is involved, it is not just a game. Random rewards are designed to keep you chasing the next win.

    What Adults Can Do
    Ask what games they play and what they spend. Check payment settings, limit in-app purchases, and talk early about how gambling works.

    Bottom Line
    Kids can develop gambling habits inside the games they already play—long before it looks like gambling.

  • What Changed
    Violence is not new. But access to it is. Today, kids do not have to go looking for violent content—it finds them.

    Where It Shows Up
    Violent content appears in social media feeds, video platforms, livestreams, gaming environments, group chats, and shared links.

    Why Kids Are Seeing More
    Platforms are built to keep attention. Shocking content gets more engagement, more engagement creates more visibility, and algorithms keep pushing similar content.

    The Reality
    Some content is not fictional. Kids may be exposed to real fights, assaults, graphic injuries, war footage, and acts of cruelty—often with no warning before it appears.

    What This Does
    Repeated exposure can desensitize kids to violence, increase fear or anxiety, normalize harmful behavior, and make it harder to tell what is real.

    What Kids Need to Hear
    Just because it is everywhere does not make it safe. If something feels upsetting, it is okay to look away and talk to a trusted adult.

    What Adults Can Do
    Ask what they are seeing online. Watch together when possible, use safety settings, and keep conversations open so kids do not hide it.

    Bottom Line
    Violent content is no longer “out there.” It is in their feeds, games, and conversations—and repeated exposure can shape how they think, feel, and respond.

TIPS & TOOLS

  • The Goal: Keep Eyes on Screens
    Most platforms make more money by keeping kids engaged. The longer they stay, the more ads they see—and the more valuable they become.

    Algorithms
    Platforms track what kids watch, click, and pause on — then feed them more of the same, using:

    • Infinite Scroll:  Feeds never end. There is no natural stopping point.

    • Autoplay:  One video leads to the next without time to stop and think.

    • Variable Rewards:  Like a slot machine, unpredictable rewards keep kids checking.

    • Notifications:  Likes, messages, and streaks create urgency and pull kids back in.

    Why This Hits Kids Harder
    Kids’ brains are still developing. Impulse control is weaker, and reward systems are stronger.

    What This Leads To
    “Just one more” turns into hours—less sleep, less focus, and more difficulty stopping.

    What Kids Need to Hear
    Apps are designed to keep you scrolling. “Just one more” is part of the design.

    Bottom Line
    These features are intentional. They are built to keep kids engaged—and once you understand that, it becomes easier to take back control.

    ➡️ DIG DEEPER

  • Roblox is gaming + chat + social connection.
    Safety depends on settings + supervision + conversation.

    Account Setup
    Use your child’s real age, add a parent email, and turn on 2-step verification.

    Privacy Settings
    Set chat and messages to Friends or No One. Limit private server invites to Friends. Turn Account Restrictions ON for younger children.
    Roblox safety settings: https://www.roblox.com/safety
    Roblox reporting tools: https://www.roblox.com/support

    Chat & Communication
    Teach your child that not everyone online is who they say they are.
    Never move chats to Discord or other apps. Never share real name, school, location, or photos.

    Red Flags
    Watch for requests to move chats, keep secrets, or share personal info or images. Notice sudden new online “best friends” or secrecy around devices.

  • Discord is servers + private chats + voice + communities.
    Safety depends on settings + awareness + ongoing conversation.

    Account Setup
    Use your child’s real age (Discord is 13+), add a recovery email, and turn on 2-Factor Authentication.

    Privacy Settings
    Turn on Keep Me Safe. Turn off direct messages from server members. Limit who can add them as a friend.
    Discord safety settings: https://discord.com/safety

    Servers & Communities
    Know what servers your child joins. Avoid large public servers and NSFW servers. Encourage real-life friend groups and known communities.

    Direct Messages
    Most problems happen in DMs. Teach your child: never accept messages from strangers, move 

    Red Flags
    Watch for requests to move chats private, keep secrets, share images, or sudden intense online friendships.

    Supervision
    Check server lists, friend lists, and ask: “Who are you talking to?” “Do you know them in real life?”

    Block & Report
    Make sure your child knows how to block and report users immediately.
    Report link: https://dis.gd/report

    Gaming Connection
    Many kids move to Discord from Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, and other games.
    Risk Path = Game → Discord → Private Chat → Trust → Exploitation

    Keep Communication Open
    “If something feels uncomfortable, tell me—you will not get in trouble.”

  • (also called the choking challenge, pass-out challenge, tap-out challenge, and many other names)

    With Your Child
    Your child just seems “off” —bloodshot eyes, headaches, marks on the neck, small red spots on the face or chest, disorientation after time alone, unusual secrecy, personality changes, unexplained injuries, or questions about passing out or strangulation.

    In Your Home
    Locked doors, knots tied in the room, wear marks on furniture, ropes, belts, or straps out of place, unexplained “thud” sounds, or concerning searches, chats, or videos online.

    What You Can Do
    Learn about it. Talk with your kids. Share this information. Ask your school to include education about dares and challenges in digital safety, wellness, and prevention programs.

  • The attached pdf has source materials used to create our Online Harms overviews. These were verified at the time of publication, but some links may have since changed, moved, or expired. This list is not exhaustive, but it provides a strong starting point for further research. Please let us know if you find any broken or outdated links so we can keep this resource current.

    Thank you for joining our fight to keep kids safe.

    ➡️DIG DEEPER

  • Why This Matters
    If we do not understand a child’s death correctly, prevention fails and families are left in unnecessary agony.  A traditional autopsy determines Cause of Death—the medical reason. A psychological autopsy helps determine Intent—which often determines the correct classification.

    Why They’re Rarely Done
    Psychological autopsies require more time, training, and specialized expertise than standard investigations, with no consistent standards across jurisdictions.

    Bottom Line
    If we do not correctly understand these deaths, we cannot prevent them.

    ➡️DIG DEEPER
    ➡️CASE STUDY

  • WHY IT’S HARD TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS
    The teenage brain is still under construction.

    The part responsible for judgment, impulse control, and long-term decision-making—the prefrontal cortex—is one of the last areas to fully develop. At the same time, the emotional and reward centers of the brain are highly active.

    This means teens often feel things more intensely, react more quickly, and take bigger risks—while the part of the brain that helps them pause, think, and weigh consequences is still developing.

    Why This Matters
    Add peer pressure, social media, and instant access to risky content, and decision-making becomes even harder.

    This does not mean teens are irresponsible—it means they need support, repetition, and trusted adults helping them slow down and think clearly.

    The Takeaway
    Simple tools matter.
    Pause. Think. Choose.
    Helping kids slow down before acting can make all the difference.

    ➡️DIG DEEPER

  • Kids are growing up in a digital world that moves faster than ever. Our job is not just to limit screens—it is to help them build judgment, boundaries, and trust.

    Healthy technology habits start at home: device-free dinners, phones out of bedrooms, open conversations, clear family expectations, and parents modeling balance themselves.

    The goal is connection, communication, and trust.

    When kids feel safe talking to us, they are far more likely to come for help before a problem becomes a crisis.

  • Strong communication starts with connection, trust, and consistency.

    When children feel safe, heard, and supported, they are far more likely to come to us with questions, mistakes, and difficult situations. Our calm presence, steady boundaries, and willingness to listen help create that foundation.

    The goal is to build a relationship where children know they can always turn to us—for guidance, support, and safety.

  • Teens are still developing the skills needed for judgment, impulse control, and decision-making—and that is a normal part of growing up.

    Parents play an important role by providing guidance, clear boundaries, open communication, and safe ways for kids to ask for help when they need it.

    The goal is to help children build confidence, good judgment, and the ability to make strong choices on their own.

  • Younger children learn best when they have simple, clear tools they can practice. Teaching them how to say no, trust their instincts, and ask for help builds confidence that lasts far beyond childhood.

    Strong body language, clear communication, trusted adults, and safe exit strategies help children feel prepared instead of pressured.

    The goal is to help kids feel strong enough to make safe choices, speak up when something feels wrong, and trust themselves along the way.