The Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance, the state’s leader in child abuse prevention, recently launched its Family Digital Wellness Hub, an effort designed to provide parents, caregivers and communities with the tools and resources they need to keep Pennsylvania’s children safe.

The hub is a free repository of educational resources and guides for families to help prevent children from being harmed in virtual environments. With schools across the commonwealth adjourning for summer recess, PFSA is urging parents and caregivers to be proactive and get educated on the dangers that social media.

“We have reached a time when parents and professionals can no longer just focus on limiting screen time or taking the device away in order to keep children safe—that is an outdated scenario,” said Angela M. Liddle, President and CEO of PFSA. “Because of the nature of these platforms, how rapidly technology changes, and how adept child predators have become, we need to equip families and communities with the tools and resources they need to manage their children’s usage. Digital safety is no longer enough, we must prioritize their digital wellness.”

As part of the organization’s Hub, PFSA is providing a FREE practical guide for parents, caregivers, and communities that contains easily digestible information on social media, digital use, and how to prevent children from being harmed in virtual environments. The guide also includes a detailed FAQ section, tips, interactive quizzes, fact sheets, and action steps that can be tailored by families, as they become more proactive in reducing digital threats and preventing the potential abuse of children.

Finally, PFSA recommends that parents, caregivers, and communities focus on being digitally diligent and adhere to the 5 P’s:

Pause to become aware of the current digital dangers that threaten children and families;

Prioritize your family’s most urgent needs related to digital threats and safety;

Protect against current digital threats to your family by implementing a family digital safety plan;

Prevent the risk and harm of future digital threats to your family by practicing digital safety routinely; and

Practice healthy interactions with digital technologies through transparent behavior and role modeling.

PFSA’s Family Digital Wellness Hub will be regularly updated with free resources and materials, so parents, caregivers, and communities can have access to the latest information and safety tips.    

From The Corry Journal, July 12, 2022