Kids and adults are online more than ever due to COVID-19 and time spent is usually unsupervised. Though you may have gone over the basic safety rules, there are steps both you and your children should take when it comes to keeping the kids safe online and we at Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami, FL would like to share them.
Track Your Child’s Internet Activity
In their digital world, parents should stay involved and keep tabs on the apps they use and use parental controls where possible to block and report people who make them feel uncomfortable. Kids need to only talk with a trusted adult obviously teachers if they are doing online schooling. Make sure they understand online risks, and the kids only chat with people they know. Should something make them feel uncomfortable, encourage them to tell a trusted adult about it. Take the time to ensure their online accounts are private, have them block people they don’t know or trust, and trust their instincts.
How to Protect My Child on the Internet
Children’s increased online presence may put them at greater risk of child exploitation, due to school closings and stay-at-home orders resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. To help protect children from becoming victims of online child predators, parents, guardians, caregivers, and teachers can take the following measures. Consider the following:
1) Before they engage in online activity, discuss internet safety and develop an online safety plan. Encourage children to have open communication with you by establishing clear guidelines and teach children to spot red flags.
2) In addition to periodically checking their profiles and posts, supervise young children’s use of the internet. Common areas of the home and consider setting time limits for their use, keep electronic devices in open.
3) Before they are downloaded or used by children, review games, apps, and social media sites. Direct messaging, video chats, file uploads, and user anonymity, by paying particular attention to apps and sites that feature end-to-end encryption since they are often relied upon by online child predators.
4) For online games, apps, social medial sites, and electronic devices, adjust privacy settings and use parental controls.
5) With people they do not know in real life sure your kids avoid sharing personal information, photos, and videos online in public forums. Make certain that the kids understand images posted online will be permanently on the internet.
6) The importance of saying ‘no’ to inappropriate requests both in the physical world and the virtual world needs to be stressed as they need know about body safety and boundaries.
7) As a parent, stay alert to potential signs of abuse from the children’s use of electronic devices, attempts to conceal online activity, angry outbursts, withdrawn behavior, anxiety, and depression.
8) If anyone asks them to engage in sexual activity or other inappropriate behavior, encourage children to tell a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult.
If you find any online enticement or sexual exploitation, immediately report by calling 911, contacting the FBI at tips.fbi.gov, or filing a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or report.cybertip.org.
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In the tragic event your child is targeted and you need answers, call Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami, FL and let us assist you.
