Internet Safety Tips For Parents
As law enforcement is cracking down on internet predators they say they need parents to do more to keep their kids safe on the web.
Tuesday afternoon, Lieutenant Brooke Walker with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force shared eye opening statistics and tips on how parents can help keep their children protected against internet predators.
Walker pleads that “parents have got to wake up, they have got to understand that that is not a baby sitting tool and that there are real dangers our there on the internet that we expect them to partner with us in order to protect their children”.
She explains that it’s not enough to teach your kids “stranger danger” anymore. especially when the danger could be right at their finger tips. “They can be sitting next to their child on the couch and they could be communicating with a predator because we don’t know who is behind that screen” says Walker.
Since taking over as commander of the ‘Internet Crimes Against Children’ task force 2 years ago, Walker says the number of cases has nearly doubled. she says “We have seen a tremendous in the first quarter,were up almost 200 cases, which mean we have got to get our message put.”
Walker is worried that number will continue to grow if parents don’t teach their kids to make safer choices online. She adds “when we talk about not driving drunk or not dong drugs it’s the same conversation that parents should be having with their children”.
Parents also need to recognize the signs that their child may be in danger. She warns “you’re going to see an extreme possessive behavior over that device, especially if the parent is trying to be vigilant, and trying to check that device…you’re going to see maybe a drop in grades maybe, any thing that a normal routine for that child they are going to withdraw because right now their sole purpose is that person that’s behind that device.
The State Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation Unit has provided the following websites for parents/guardians to guide their children to making safer choices on the internet.
http://www.netsmartz.org
http://www.commonsensemedia.org
http://www.nationalcac.org/internet-safety-tips
