You don't need to be a tech expert to keep your children safe online. You need the same things as out on the street: trust, clear rules and being there for them. This guide helps you support them with Shield Mission and beyond.
Sit down together and play a mission. Let your child make the decisions; when Chispa explains the answer, ask: "Has anything like that happened to you?", "What would you really do?". The most useful conversations come about like this, without interrogations.
After playing a few missions, fill in the family agreement together: screen times, where screens are used, what gets shared and what to do if something goes wrong. Rules that are agreed together are followed far better than rules that are imposed.
Ask about their favourite games, YouTubers or challenges before asking about the dangers. If they feel you're interested in their world, they'll show it to you.
The biggest obstacle to asking for help is the fear of having their phone taken away. Make it clear before anything happens:
"If anything strange ever happens to you online, even if you've made a mistake, tell me. I won't take your phone away for telling me: we'll sort it out together."
Better "what would you do if someone in a game asked for your password?" than "there are some very bad people on the internet". Specific questions prepare them; fear freezes them.
Ask permission before posting photos of them, don't use your phone at the table and check before you forward things. They learn more from what they see.
A secret word for real emergencies. If someone calls or writes "on behalf of Mum" asking for money or codes and doesn't know the word, it's a scam (AI can already imitate voices).
Once a term, sit down and look at the settings together: private profile, who can message them, location, purchases and two-step verification.
A chatbot can explain a topic in a thousand different ways. Suggest using it as a "private tutor": to explain, give examples and ask revision questions. And make sure they write the final piece of work themselves.
AIs sometimes make up facts that sound convincing. Teach them to check anything important in books or reliable sources. It's the best vaccine against hoaxes.
No full names, addresses, photos of faces or details about other people in AI chats. Check the age requirements of each service.
Today it's possible to make very realistic fake videos, photos and voices. Knowing they exist helps children avoid being tricked and avoid sharing fake content.
Creating or spreading fake images to humiliate someone does a great deal of harm and can be a crime. Talk about it before it happens, and about what to do if they see it.
Some AI apps present themselves as "friends". Show an interest in whether they use them, for how long and what for, without judging. Nothing replaces people they can trust.
None of these on its own means something is wrong, but if you notice several, or a sudden change, it's time for a calm chat.
First of all: "You did really well to tell me". Don't let them feel it's their fault, even if they've made a mistake.
Screenshots with dates, usernames and links. Don't delete conversations yet.
When faced with threats or blackmail, never pay or send anything. Cut off contact.
Every social network and game has an option to report profiles and content.
In Spain, call 017 (INCIBE) for advice. If the bullying involves school, talk to the school. If intimate or violent images are being shared, use the AEPD Priority Channel (Canal Prioritario of the Spanish Data Protection Agency) to request their urgent removal (there is a specific form for minors).
In Spain, threats, sexual blackmail, serious harassment or identity theft are reported to the Policía Nacional, the Guardia Civil or the regional police. If there is immediate danger, call 112.
Filter content by age, limit screen time, block purchases and approve downloads. Phones, consoles and routers usually come with them built in.
They don't teach children to make decisions and they don't catch everything. A filter is no substitute for conversation or trust.
Explain what you've turned on and why, and give them more independence as they grow up. If you install them secretly, you break the trust you'll need when there's a problem.
This information refers to Spanish law, is for guidance only and is not a substitute for legal advice. AIAO will review this guide when the law changes.
More resources for families (in Spanish): incibe.es/menores (Internet Segura for Kids, INCIBE).
