Education
It is our responsibility to keep our children out of harm’s way. However, with the expansion of the internet and digital technologies this responsibility has become even more challenging. The places child predators lurk and gather information are greater than ever. They have poisoned certain social sharing platforms, digital apps, and even video games.
Studies show that by 2 years old, 90% of children have been featured in photos or videos on social media, and almost 9 out of 10 parents haven’t checked their privacy settings in more than a year, which puts this delicate information at risk. With pedophiles frequently browsing common parenting and child-related hashtags on social sharing platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, we have to be extra careful in the content we are sharing and the information we are providing in conjunction with those photos and videos. A harmless, natural social sharing tool, such as location sharing, is, in fact, one of the most dangerous device settings of all, as it shows these predators where they can find and stalk your children. It is easy to think you are sharing harmless information with your inner-circle, but in reality, that content is in danger unless you take the appropriate steps to safeguard you and your children’s online presence.
We know this is scary to hear, but the more informed we are on the tactics online child predators use, the more prepared we can be to combat their criminal behavior.
Pause Before You Post
Child Rescue Coalition works around the clock to help law enforcement protect children from sexual exploitation, but parents also have a role to play in keeping their kids safe. Help protect your child’s privacy and ensure their image doesn’t fall into the wrong hands by asking yourself these questions before sharing your child’s image on social media:
- Why am I sharing this?
- Is this something I want to be part of my child’s digital life?
- Would I want this image of my child viewed and downloaded by predators?
- Would I want someone else to share an image like this of me?
For more valuable safety tips from a leading professional, click here to see Child Rescue Coalition’s 2018 Investigator of the Year and Fort Lauderdale detective, Robert Mauro’s, essentials for how you can protect your children from online sexual predators.
In addition to following these safety tips, subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive relevant, useful information you can easily use and teach your children in order to keep them safe.