Protecting Kids Online: Key Lessons from John Parsons’ Internet Safety Guide

Online safety for kids starts with teaching values, encouraging open conversations, and setting clear boundaries. When parents, educators, and communities work together, children gain the skills and confidence to avoid risks, make smart choices, and thrive in today’s digital world.

Why Online Safety for Kids Matters More Than Ever

For today’s children, life online is woven into their daily routines offering endless ways to learn, play, and connect. Yet alongside the fun and opportunities come risks that can´t be overlooked: from inappropriate content like deepfakes to cyberbullying, privacy threats and even interactions with online predators.

The digital world can challenge a child’s safety and wellbeing in ways that are often invisible to parents and adults. 

That’s why online safety is no longer optional, it’s an essential life skill. With proper guidance from engaged parents and informed educators working together, children can learn how to interact safely online while making the most of its educational and social benefits.  

John Parsons is one of New Zealand's leading authorities on cyber-security and brings direct experience to this issue. Over the years he's developed a toolbox of practical strategies for children and their caregivers designed to keep kids safe online and encourage good digital citizenship. 

These strategies do not depend on technological know-how, instead they focus on instilling family values that children can carry into their online lives. These values empower children to think critically and act ethically in their digital interactions.

Learn more about how we support students and their families to stay safe online at school, at home, and everywhere in between.

John Parsons’ Tips for Parents on Keeping Kids Safe Online

In his book “Keeping Your Children Safe Online: A Guide for New Zealand Parents” he addresses the challenges that parents and mentors must face in a society where the internet takes a central place in our lives, in which children are spending more time than ever in the digital world. The book also contains real-life anecdotes and experiences, and demonstrates just how prevalent these issues are for many of our children. 

Parsons’ book is divided into two parts: 

• The first part examines the fundamental concepts and strategies required to be safe online.
• The second part examines specific risks including: sexting, cyber-bullying, online grooming, digital addiction, cyber-crime, and the long-term impact of a digital footprint. 

His book highlights six key areas to keep in mind when addressing online safety with children: 

1. Family values – how to anchor children to what’s important. This includes educating children to understand the value of self, to respect and protect family and friends, and to broadcast decency and positive values across the internet. Promoting a values-based approach builds long-lasting habits in digital behavior.
2. Cyber-separation – keeping those lines of communication open, especially when the parent has little understanding of their child’s online world through unsupervised internet use. Open dialogue ensures children know they have a safe space to share concerns or mistakes.
3. A digital boundary – making informed, ethical decisions. Parsons provides strategies for parents on how to build appropriate digital boundaries. This includes practical limits around screen time and safe online interactions.
4. Cyber-muscles – Parsons demonstrates how children can learn to project confidence, power and control online. Strengthening these "muscles" means encouraging resilience and smart decision-making.
5. Communication and the “cyber-tooth tiger” - how to deal with over-reaction from parents when things go wrong. Creating a calm and understanding atmosphere prevents children from hiding incidents and promotes mutual trust.
6. Acceptable use of digital devices – how to create a fair and balanced relationship with digital technology. Establishing rules around when and how devices can be used promotes a healthy digital routine.

A Community Approach to Cyber Security and Online Safety

While his book has been written with parents and caregivers in mind, his key message is that the online world needs the same kind of boundaries as the physical world. Children should not be left to navigate the internet unsupervised any more than they would be left alone in a busy city. 

The best way to keep your child safe on the internet is to teach them how to protect themselves, not just through technology, but by building the skills and confidence to make safe choices. Building trust and by fostering a secure and open environment where children feel comfortable sharing their experiences, adults can empower them to navigate safely through the online world. Young children need close guidance and strong support, which should evolve as they grow older to encourage safe independence. 

Ultimately, protecting children online requires a partnership between caregivers, educators, and technology providers. When children understand how to manage risks and make smart choices (and when schools and parents work together) they develop the confidence and awareness to thrive safely in an increasingly digital world.

If you'd like information about school internet filtering services, blocking VPN's, or parental control options with Linewize we'd love to have a chat. 

By combining innovative cyber security solutions with proven educational strategies, Linewize bridges the gap between school policy, technical protection, and home engagement. This unified approach helps parents monitor activity, block inappropriate content, and create meaningful online experiences for their children.