Sarahah

Sitting down with your child and exploring their favourite app or game is a great way for you to learn more about what they like to do online.

You can ask them why they like to use an app or play certain games, as well as who they’re talking to and what sorts of things they’re sharing.

You can also read our Net Aware reviews for tips on how to keep kids safe on popular apps, sites and games.

Help your child think about what they share online and who sees it. Compare it to what they would be happy to share offline.

Use examples that are easy for them to understand: “You shouldn't give your number to somebody you don't know on the street. Is somebody online you don't know any different?”

Listen to their answers. And be positive and encouraging.

Remind them that they shouldn’t share private things, such as:

• personal information, like names, emails, phone numbers, location and school names
• other people's personal information
• links to join private group chats
• photos of themselves
• photos of their body, such as sexual photos or videos.

Explain that you understand the internet is a great place to play, create, learn and connect. But remind them they can talk to you if anything upsets or worries them.

Reassure them that you won’t overreact – you’re just looking out for them.

It’s important to remind your child that they can talk you, another adult they trust, like a teacher, or Childline about anything they see online.

Sahara used to be recommended for children aged 13+  but it’s since changed to 17+. This means the website and app aren’t appropriate for most young people. 

You know your child better than anyone, but we recommend thinking carefully about why your child would be on there and speaking to them about it.  

Your child might receive upsetting or negative things from other users on Sarahah. If this happens, they might want to report or block them. 

You can report messages you’ve received on Sarahah by clicking on the three buttons at the top of a message and selecting ‘report’. 

You can block another user by clicking on the three buttons at the top of a message and selecting ‘block sender’. 

And remember to let your child know that they can always talk to you about worrying things they see online. 

With your child, explore the privacy setting and make sure ‘appear in search’ and ‘close inbox’ are turned off. That way only people they know should be able to find and talk to them.  

And revisit the privacy settings often to make sure you’re happy with them.