Whilst you may have some worries about your child dating online, there are lots of things you can do to support them to be safer. The qualities of healthy relationships should be the same online as they are in-person. Help your child to think about what qualities are important to them in a relationship and how they can spot them online.
Some healthy qualities to share are:. It can be difficult to spot when people are lying or have bad intentions online, especially if attraction or emotions are involved. If your child has built a relationship with someone online, it is natural that they may want to arrange to meet them in person.
This will help you make an informed decision on whether they are ready to meet. Some points to consider:. If you feel comfortable with your child meeting up with the person, put a safety plan together first. Use the following points to help you:. Where are they going to meet? It is safer to meet in a public place where there are lots of people.
Get your child to pick somewhere they are already familiar with and know the route home. This will help them feel more comfortable. Think about whether there is good phone signal in their chosen meeting point. When will they meet? Meeting in the day time is safer. Think about how long is reasonable to plan to be out — what time will they meet and when will they return? How will they get to and from the date?
Help your child to plan a safe journey, this might be you or another trusted adult driving them, or public transport routes. Consider the frequency of transport and check your child can get safely to and from the date within the times agreed. Make sure they take their mobile phone and it is fully charged.
