When Kids Are on Break, Digital Risks Go Up
When students are home for winter break, one thing almost always increases: screen time. More hours on phones, tablets, gaming platforms, and social media can mean more flexibility, more boredom, and, unfortunately, more opportunities for unsafe or inappropriate digital communication.
For many students, these breaks are relaxing and restorative. But for others, they bring an uptick in risky online interactions, increased contact with unsafe adults, or entry points into conversations they’re not equipped to handle. And for schools, this dynamic should not be ignored.
Why does digital risk increase during winter break? Many reasons.
👉More time online = more unsupervised interactions. Kids often spend hours messaging, gaming, scrolling, or joining new social spaces. With fewer structured activities, boundaries can blur quickly.
👉Students may be more accessible to unsafe adults. Individuals who engage in grooming behaviors often rely on increased access and decreased oversight, both of which happen when school is out.
👉Students may feel isolated or bored. This combination makes them more vulnerable to attention from peers or adults who exploit emotional needs.
👉Digital communication feels “less real” to kids. What might feel like casual texting or playful messaging can cross lines without students fully recognizing the shift.
👉School-based monitoring pauses. During the year, teachers, counselors, and peers notice red flags. When kids are home, these natural safety nets are weaker.
What are some examples of concerning digital behavior?
A staff member or coach messaging a student more frequently than usual
Private, late-night, or disappearing-message conversations
Students receiving or sending inappropriate images
Contact from adults outside the school environment
Online relationships that feel unusually intense or secretive
Ads, pop-ups, open chats, and suspicious links on a shared computer
Children immediately turning their device off when approached
None of these automatically indicate misconduct, but they should never be dismissed.
How can schools prepare before break?
1️⃣Reinforce digital boundaries with staff.
No private messaging with students
No social media interactions
Use approved platforms only
No telephone communication
Report boundary concerns immediately
2️⃣Remind students about safe technology use.
Blocking/reporting unsafe contacts
Not adding, following, or connecting with anyone not already known in real life
Not sharing personal information or images
Recognizing that profile pictures don’t always match the person on the other end
Telling a trusted adult when something feels off
3️⃣Partner with families
Send a short, supportive communication encouraging caregivers to check in on their child’s online spaces and normalize that doing so is part of safety, not punishment.
4️⃣Clarify reporting pathways - students and parents should know:
How to report concerns
Where to find your complaint procedures
Whom to contact during breaks
Afer break: why intake matters
When students return, schools often hear things like:
🗣️“Something weird happened online.”
🗣️“A teacher was messaging me a lot.”
🗣️“I blocked someone but didn’t know who to tell.”
🗣️“My friend showed me screenshots that seemed off.”
These digital interactions may seem minor or ambiguous, but they can reveal:
Grooming attempts
Boundary violations
Online bullying or harassment
Adults trying to move conversations to private platforms
Schools should treat every digital concern as meaningful, even if the student isn’t sure what happened.
📌The Bottom Line: Breaks from school shouldn’t mean breaks from safety.
Digital life accelerates during time away, and with it, the risk of inappropriate communication, blurred boundaries, and missed opportunities to intervene early. When schools proactively reinforce expectations, normalize reporting, and create clear intake processes, they empower students and families to speak up and prevent harm before it escalates.
