"They think it's totally fine to talk to somebody on the internet they don't know": Teachers' perceptions and mitigation strategies of tweens' online risks

Teachers play a key role in educating children about digital security and privacy. They are often at the forefront, witnessing incidents, dealing with the consequences, and helping children handle the technology-related risks. However, little is reported about teachers’ lived classroom experiences and their challenges in this regard. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 Canadian elementary school teachers to understand the risks teachers witness children aged 10–13 facing on digital media, teachers’ mitigation strategies, and how prepared teachers are to help children. Our results show that teachers regularly help children deal with digital risks outside of teaching official curriculum, ranging from minor privacy violations to severe cases of cyberbullying. Most issues reported by teachers were the result of typical behaviours which became risky because they took place over digital media. We use the results to highlight implications for how elementary schools address digital security and privacy.