Davidson County Sheriff’s Office offers internet safety training for teens, parents
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As internet use continues to grow among children and teenagers, so do the risks that come with it. Cyberbullying, online predators, sextortion, and unsafe social media practices are becoming increasingly common concerns for families.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office is working to address those risks through a proactive Internet Safety training program, offered both online and in Davidson County schools. This is possible through a collaboration with missingkids.org. Deputies travel to local middle schools to present an Internet Safety curriculum to 7th-grade students, helping teens understand how to stay safe while navigating social media, gaming platforms and online communication.
As of a Nov. 2025 release, Davidson County has 552 registered sex offenders. The Sheriff’s Office remains dedicated to the safety and well-being of our community through proactive monitoring and enforcement of sex offender registry compliance. The North Carolina Sex Offender Registry is available to the public at: https://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov. Anyone with information regarding violations of registry laws is encouraged to contact the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registry Unit at 336-242-2136.
The program focuses on educating students about real-world online dangers, including cyberbullying, sharing personal information, inappropriate messaging, and recognizing fake profiles. The goal is prevention—giving students and parents the tools they need to make informed decisions before situations turn harmful. The department also offers a smartphone training guide for parents.
“It’s vital for kids and teens to understand the potential dangers online,” officials say. “Education is one of the most effective ways to protect them.”
Resources for Families and Educators
In addition to classroom instruction, the Sheriff’s Office provides a wide range of online resources for parents, teens, and educators. These include tip sheets and videos that cover topics such as:
Social media safety for teens
Sexting and sextortion awareness
Gaming safely and managing online chats
Smartphone and app safety
Artificial intelligence and child safety
Protecting privacy at home
The materials are designed to encourage open conversations between parents and children and to reinforce lessons taught in schools.
Short Videos Address Real-Life Scenarios
The training resources also include short videos geared toward teens, addressing common online situations such as meeting online friends, posting photos, handling cyberbullying, and understanding the permanence of digital actions. Several videos feature real-life stories from teens who experienced online harm, underscoring the importance of speaking up and seeking help.
A Community Approach to Online Safety
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office encourages parents to stay involved in their children’s online lives and to use the available resources as tools for ongoing discussion at home.
Internet safety, officials stress, is not just a school issue—it’s a community effort.
By bringing education directly into classrooms and offering accessible online tools, the Sheriff’s Office aims to equip Davidson County’s teens with the knowledge they need to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.
