A stranger in an online game is asking your child where they live. What do you do right now?

The next ten minutes

Your child just turned the screen toward you. Someone they play with asked what school they go to. Maybe they asked for a selfie, or wanted to move the chat to another app.

Breathe first. Your child did the right thing by telling you. Here is what to do.

1. Thank them for showing you. Say it out loud.
2. Do not reply to the person, and do not let your child reply.
3. Save the chat. Take screenshots of the messages and the profile name.
4. Block and report the account using the game's own tools.
5. Ask your child to show you the whole chat, not just the last message.

If the chat has a sexual picture in it, do not forward it or screenshot that picture. The book is clear that saving or sharing it can count as sharing abuse material. Keep the device as it is and report it to NCMEC's CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org.

The words for next time

Once things are calm, practice the line. The book keeps it short so your child can type it or just leave:

I don't share that.

If the person keeps pushing, your child does not argue. They leave the chat or block, and come get you.

Three habits cover almost everything in the online chapter. Keep your info private: full name, address, school and plans stay offline. Friends are people you know in real life. And when something feels off, stop and tell. Close it, block it, report it, show a grown-up.

In our view, the FTC's advice on kids and video games follows the same shape. Privacy settings, block and report, and a trusted adult to tell.

The warning signs to name out loud

Kids spot what they have been told to look for. These are the signs the book teaches, each with its own situation.

Someone asks to move to a private app. Someone asks for a photo, or to turn on the camera. Someone sends a gift card and wants something back. Someone offers free game coins if you log in on their site. And the biggest one: someone says not to tell your parents about them.

That last one gets its own line for your child to remember. Safe people don't ask kids to hide them.

If it turns into a threat

Sometimes the person has a picture and says they will share it unless your child does something. The book calls this blackmail. It is a crime, and it is not your child's fault.

The FBI and NCMEC's NetSmartz program agree on the first moves. Don't pay. Don't send anything more, because doing what they say almost never makes them stop. Don't delete the messages or the account. Block, save, and report to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or to NCMEC at report.cybertip.org. NCMEC's free Take It Down service can help remove images taken when your child was under 18.

The practice line the book gives you for this one is not a role-play. It is a promise you read to your child: if anyone ever threatened you online, would you come to me? Say it before anything ever happens.

Chapters for gaming and group chats

Iris Athens wrote What Do I Say If...? for exactly this problem.

Online and Gaming has sixteen situations, from a gamer asking about school and someone asking for a password "to help" to a fake prize message and an online friend who wants to meet. Each has the line, what to do and a practice line for you to read.

Secrets vs. Surprises gives your child the idea underneath: if someone says "don't tell," that is a sign it is time to tell.

Our Family Safety Plan has a page of online rules your child can sign up to, like no photos, video chats or meetups without your okay.