The Center for Cyber Safety and Education partnered with UKnightedXP to release Gaming for Parents , a new online program to support parents in keeping their families safe online and to raise awareness of the threats and potential mishaps. The program empowers parents with knowledge on parental controls and safety settings, choosing games based on the ESRB rating scale, securing internet connection, keeping software and devices up-to-date, training children on proper online conduct, cyberbullying and even signs of addiction.

Most parents of younger children grew up playing video games, but the home consoles of past decades have experienced major technology upgrades over the years. Today, there are over 2.5 billion video gamers in the world and 70% of youth (under 18) are engaging in virtual gaming. Most modern games have interactive and conversational platforms built-in, 65% of gamers play with others and 17% of the people they are playing with are online-only friends/strangers.

Tips for Safe Online Gaming for Families

1. Secure your internet connection and keep software, operating systems, and browsers up to date.
2. Use parental, privacy, and safety settings in-game, app stores, and on devices.
3. Choose games wisely based on ESRB safety ratings and family acceptability.
4. Teach, mentor, and train your children on proper online conduct including cyberbullying training.
5. Teach children to never disclose personally identifiable information (PII), to use avatars instead of their photo and ensure gamer tags never include PII.
6. Do your research, get involved, and if inclined, play the game, too.

Gaming for Parents is a feature of (ISC)² Safe and Secure Online, a collection of resources for families that support the Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s vision of making the cyber world a safer place for everyone. You can find more statistics and tips, along with household rules and a safety checklist by accessing the Gaming for Parents program.