Protect Children

Educate Yourself on the Dangers Children Face

Use the following resources to learn about the dangers that children face and what you can do to help protect them.

 

Thorn Foundation  |  iGuardian  |  National Center for Missing and Exploited Children  |  Child Rescue Coalition  |  Filter First  |  Shared Hope

 

Empower Your Children  |  Every Parent's Nightmare  |  The Internet is Our Crime Seen  |  Teen Sexting  |  Grooming

Limit the Amount of Information You Share

Some parents simply share too much information about their kids. This practice can put children at risk for identity theft, digital kidnapping, and even child abduction. This can also affect a child's sense of self because, in many ways, their identity has been created for them. Read more

 

An example of sharing too much information would be from using signs in the front yard to celebrate a special occasion, like a birthday, graduation, or birth of a child. Scammers that drive by can use this information to steal a child’s identity. Read more

Use Parental Controls

Use controls on your child’s devices, like Bark or Circle, to monitor and even block unwanted content. These controls can also provide peace of mind to parents by protecting children from the dangers of online access. They can function to dramatically reduce the likelihood that children will be exposed to inappropriate images or videos as well as online predators.

Do Not Answer Unknown Phone or Video Calls

Instruct your children to never answer phone or video calls from an unknown number. Sexual predators have been known to contact children to capture the child's image or voice in order to create a deepfake. The predator can then blackmail or extort the child by threatening to release the deepfake to friends and family. Artificial intelligence is making this threat even more prevalent. Read more

Real Life Stories (some content could be disturbing)

Read about one of the largest pedophilia web sites that was shut down in 2017.

Watch a video by Amanda Todd, who committed suicide a few weeks after posting a video on her cyberbullying.