Internet and Community Safety Skills

Internet safety skills help adults learn to keep personal information private, like their full name, address, phone number, and passwords. We inform individuals to only talk to people they know and trust, because some messages, links, or websites can be fake or unsafe. These skills also help individuals recognize when something online feels confusing, uncomfortable, or scary, and encourage them to stop, step away, and tell a trusted person. Internet safety training also teaches kindness and respectful behavior online, reminds people to never send money or gift cards to anyone they meet on the internet, and to spot malicious links that could cause viruses or a data breach.

Community safety means making safe choices, staying aware of your surroundings, and knowing how to get help when you need it. It teaches people how to move around their community confidently while protecting themselves from unsafe situations. Community safety skills help adults learn who their “safe people” are—trusted family, staff, friends, or helpers they can go to for support. These skills also include keeping personal belongings close, staying in public places when unsure, and recognizing when a situation feels uncomfortable or unsafe. Community safety encourages people to trust their feelings, say no when something doesn’t feel right, and ask for help if they feel confused, lost, or worried. Most importantly, it teaches that if someone ever feels in danger, they should leave the situation and get help right away or call 911.

At Inspire, we believe that internet safety and community safety should be taught as one combined module because people use both the online world and the real world in similar ways — to meet people, communicate, make choices, and navigate daily life. The risks in each space often overlap. Someone can meet a stranger online and then be asked to meet them in the community. A scam that starts on the internet can turn into pressure or danger in person. Teaching these skills together helps adults understand that safety is not just about technology or physical places — it’s about recognizing safe and unsafe situations wherever they happen. When both topics are combined, learners can practice one set of skills that works in both environments: trusting their feelings, saying no, protecting personal information, staying aware, and asking for help when something feels wrong. A combined module gives a clearer, more complete picture of how to stay safe in everyday life.