As the school year winds down and summer vacation begins, many Canadian children and teens will spend more time online, connecting with friends, gaming, scrolling social media, watching videos, and exploring new digital spaces. While technology can offer fun and opportunities for learning, it can also expose young people to cyberbullying, harassment, exploitation, and other forms of online violence.
The summer months often bring less structure and supervision, making it an important time for parents and caregivers to have open conversations about online safety and digital well-being.
Why Summer Increases Online Risks
When school is out, screen time typically increases. Children may stay up later, spend more time on social media platforms, join new online communities, or interact with people they don’t know in real life. This can increase exposure to cyberbullying, online harassment, sextortion, online luring, and other harmful behaviours.
According to the RCMP, cyberbullying can occur through social media, text messages, email, gaming platforms, and other online spaces. Unlike traditional bullying, it can follow a child 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it difficult for victims to find relief or feel safe.
Canada’s cyber security and child protection experts are also warning parents about increasingly sophisticated online threats targeting youth, including the sharing of intimate images, online sexual violence, AI-generated content, and extremist or violent online communities.
Start with Conversation, Not Surveillance
One of the most effective ways to protect children online is to build trust before problems arise.
Experts consistently emphasize the importance of ongoing, age-appropriate conversations about online experiences. Ask questions such as:
- What apps and games are you using right now?
- Who do you spend time with online?
- Has anyone ever made you uncomfortable online?
- What would you do if someone was mean, threatening, or pressured you to share something personal?
The goal is to create an environment where children feel safe coming to a trusted adult if something goes wrong.
Many young people who experience online victimization do not immediately tell their parents because they fear losing device privileges or getting in trouble. Keeping communication open can make all the difference.
Know the Warning Signs
Cyberbullying and online abuse do not always leave visible signs.
Parents should pay attention to changes such as:
- Sudden withdrawal from friends or family
- Increased anxiety, sadness, or irritability
- Reluctance to use devices they previously enjoyed
- Changes in sleeping or eating habits
- Declining self-esteem
- Avoiding social situations
- Secrecy around online activities
Cyberbullying can contribute to serious emotional and mental health impacts, including depression, social anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. Early intervention matters.
Teach Kids to Protect Their Digital Footprint
Summer is a great opportunity to review basic online safety habits.
Encourage children and teens to:
- Use strong, unique passwords.
- Enable multi-factor authentication where available.
- Keep social media accounts private.
- Avoid sharing personal information such as addresses, school names, schedules, or phone numbers.
- Think carefully before posting photos or videos.
- Be cautious when accepting friend requests or messages from strangers.
Parents should also regularly review privacy settings together with their children and discuss how information shared online can spread quickly and be difficult to remove.
Address Cyberbullying Immediately
If your child experiences cyberbullying:
- Stay calm and listen.
- Save screenshots, messages, and evidence.
- Block and report the individual on the platform.
- Contact the school if classmates are involved.
- Report criminal behaviour to police when appropriate.
Some online behaviours are not simply “kids being kids”, they may be criminal offences, including criminal harassment, threats, extortion, identity fraud, and the sharing of intimate images involving minors.
Remind children never to retaliate online. Preserving evidence is often more effective than responding.
Be Aware of Online Sexual Violence and Exploitation
Parents should also talk openly about risks beyond cyberbullying.
Organizations such as Cybertip.ca and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection warn that youth may encounter:
- Online luring
- Sextortion
- Requests for intimate images
- Non-consensual sharing of images
- Online sexual violence
- AI-generated fake images and deepfakes
Children and teens should know:
- They can always tell a trusted adult.
- They will not be blamed for reporting concerns.
- No one has the right to pressure them into sharing images or personal information.
- Threats involving intimate images should be reported immediately.
Set Healthy Digital Boundaries
Structure helps reduce risk. Consider:
- Establishing device-free times and spaces.
- Keeping devices out of bedrooms overnight.
- Encouraging outdoor activities and in-person social opportunities.
- Creating a family media agreement.
- Periodically reviewing apps, games, and privacy settings together.
The goal is not to eliminate technology but to help young people develop healthy digital habits and critical thinking skills.
Know Where to Get Help
Parents do not have to navigate these challenges alone.
If your child experiences cyberbullying, online exploitation, or other online harms, trusted Canadian resources are available:
- Cybertip.ca: Canada’s national tipline for reporting online child sexual exploitation.
- Canadian Centre for Child Protection: Education, prevention, and family resources.
- Kids Help Phone: Confidential support for youth.
- The Government of Prince Edward Island (GPEI) mandated Justice and Public Safety to create a youth cyberbullying strategy using an inter-sectoral approach.
- Local police services or the RCMP for criminal activity.
- School administrators when incidents involve classmates.
A Summer Opportunity
Summer can be an ideal time to strengthen digital literacy and online resilience. By staying engaged, asking questions, setting boundaries, and maintaining open communication, parents can help ensure their children enjoy the benefits of technology while staying safer from cyberbullying and online violence.
The most important message children can hear is simple: if something online makes you uncomfortable, scared, embarrassed, or threatened, talk to a trusted adult. Help is available, and no child should have to face online harm alone.
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