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The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has called on parents, guardians, and teachers to prioritise stronger offline engagement with children as part of efforts to promote child online protection and responsible digital behaviour.

The call was made during a cyber safety and responsible technology use session facilitated by the Authority at the Mobile Learning Lab (MLL) training programme organised by the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) on May 7, 2026 in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region.

Addressing facilitators and teachers from ten partner senior high schools, an Official of the CSA, Mrs. Mary Ama Bawa, emphasised that while digital technologies continue to create enormous learning opportunities for children and young people, meaningful parent-child and teacher-student relationships remain critical in protecting children from online harms.

The presentation highlighted that children who enjoy healthy communication and emotional support offline are more likely to openly discuss uncomfortable online experiences, including cyberbullying, online grooming, exposure to harmful content, and suspicious interactions with strangers.

Mrs. Bawa encouraged parents and teachers to intentionally create time for conversations, shared activities, and mentorship with children beyond digital spaces. She indicated that, building trust and emotional connection with children significantly improves adults’ ability to detect behavioral changes, identify warning signs of online exploitation, and guide children toward safer online practices.

Participants were also advised that strengthening offline relationships should go hand in hand with improving the digital literacy skills of parents and teachers. The Authority noted that many adults are often unfamiliar with online platforms, applications, and digital trends children engage with daily, thereby creating gaps in supervision and guidance.

To address this challenge, facilitators and teachers were taken through the significant features of the platforms in regulating content and scheduling children’s screen time. They were encouraged to continuously build their own online skills, understand emerging digital trends, and become familiar with safety tools such as parental controls, content filtering systems, and child online protection platforms.

The session further stressed that effective child online protection requires a balanced approach that combines digital supervision with emotional support, open communication, and practical guidance.

The training formed part of ongoing efforts by the Cyber Security Authority to deepen cybersecurity awareness and strengthen child online protection initiatives through collaboration with educational institutions and development partners.