Protect your child from online predators, sextortion, and AI fakes. Straight talk and simple steps for families with kids ages 6 to 17, plus a one-page plan for the first hour if something goes wrong.
Is something happening right now? If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. Report sextortion or exploitation to NCMEC at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678, 24/7. Do not pay, and do not delete anything.
Online predators usually pose as a peer: another kid, a fellow gamer, a friendly teen from a nearby town. They're patient, flattering, and sometimes very fast.
kids and teens surveyed said someone they only knew online asked them for explicit images. More than half of those requests came within the first day.
DHS Know2Protect (2025), citing Thornaverage financial sextortion reports NCMEC received each day in 2025, a 37% increase from the year before.
NCMEC CyberTipline Data (2025)CyberTipline reports in 2025 involved generative AI in some way. A child no longer has to send a photo to be targeted.
NCMEC CyberTipline Data (2025)Sextortion can start on any site, app, messaging platform, or game where people meet and talk.
FBI IC3 Annual Report (2025)No scare tactics and no tech jargon. Just how predators really operate, what to watch for, and exactly what to do.
The five-step pattern offenders follow, and the single biggest red flag to teach your kids.
The two common versions, who gets targeted, and why the child is always the victim.
"Nudify" apps, deepfake blackmail, and how the new federal law forces platforms to remove images in 48 hours.
Behavior changes and online money signs, plus how to open a calm conversation.
Games, chat apps, and social media: where contact starts and which settings to change today.
A one-page checklist for the moment something goes wrong: protect evidence the right way, report it, and get images removed.
Ready-to-use conversation starters for young kids, tweens, and teens.
Read it together, sign it, and post it on the fridge. Plus the family code word idea.
Device controls, Wi-Fi filtering, strong sign-ins, and oversight without spying.
Offenders count on kids being too scared or ashamed to speak up. The guide shows you how to take that weapon away, starting with one simple promise your family can make out loud.
If you come to me because something went wrong online, even if you made a mistake, I will stay calm. You will not be punished for telling me. We will fix it together.
We'll email the PDF to you right away.
We never sell or share your information. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yes. No credit card, no catch. Enter your email and the PDF is sent to you.
Parents, grandparents, and guardians of kids ages 6 to 17. Teachers, coaches, counselors, and youth leaders find it useful too.
Please do. You may print and share the guide for non-commercial use.
No. The guide is for general education. If a child is being exploited or threatened, contact law enforcement and NCMEC first: call 911 in an emergency, or report at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678.
Digital Plains protects businesses from cybercriminals every day, and many of the same tricks are being used on kids. We'd rather share what we know than watch families learn it the hard way.
Download The Digital Shield, read it this weekend, and have the first conversation at dinner.
Get the free guide