CONSISTENCY is crucial in shaping healthy digital behaviour.
This, says Suka Society child protection officer Sarah Teo, means equipping educators with proper training and clear guidelines, while also supporting parents through awareness sessions and practical tools.
“Collaboration must include marginalised and vulnerable communities, who may have less access to information or resources.
“When educators and parents communicate openly, reinforce the same core principles such as consent and respect, and reassure children that it is safe to seek help, children experience less confusion and are more likely to internalise positive digital habits,” she told StarEdu.
Suka Society is a non-governmental organisation set up to protect and preserve the best interests of children.
Read on for more insights from Teo.
What early warning signs do you see when children grow up without guidance on digital behaviour and boundaries?
Teo: One of the most common warning signs is that children are unaware of their basic rights, particularly the right to feel safe, to say no, and to seek help from trusted adults.
Without guidance, children may internalise blame for harmful experiences or feel pressured to keep secrets, especially when manipulation or threats are involved.
Another major concern is the normalisation of harmful or inappropriate content.
Repeated exposure to explicit material, inappropriate language or damaging online trends, without adult mediation, can make such behaviour feel “normal”.
In peer-driven digital spaces that adults may not fully see, boundaries become blurred and harmful behaviour often goes unchallenged. Over time, children may struggle to recognise what is unsafe, exploitative or wrong.
Other warning signs include behavioural changes such as anxiety, withdrawal or irritability, as well as physical or emotional stress indicators like sleep difficulties or unexplained complaints.
In online contexts, children may become secretive or fearful of getting into trouble, underscoring the importance of early, consistent education around boundaries, consent and help-seeking.
How can early childhood education focus on values such as kindness, consent and discernment that apply both online and offline?
Teo: Children learn as much from observation as they do from instruction. When kindness, respect and consent are consistently modelled by parents and educators, children come to understand that these values matter.
Simple practices – such as asking for permission, respecting “no”, and resolving conflict through calm communication – help children grasp boundaries in concrete ways.
Consistency is essential. Children are also quick to notice contradictions. When adults are polite and patient with strangers or colleagues but harsh with those closest to them, it can blur a child’s understanding of what kindness truly means.
