OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (KCTV) – One in five children is subjected to unwanted sexual harassment on the Internet.
The Department of Homeland Security said this is an alarming and growing trend nationwide, with 36 million tips received last year alone.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security partnered with CASA of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties (CASAJWC) to protect foster children from these cyber predators in a two-hour training session.
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This is all part of the Department of Homeland Security’s national education program Know2Protect. Casa staff, volunteers, caregivers and other adults have been educated about online child sexual exploitation, especially now that children and teens are back in school and separated from their parents.
During the training, they also learned how to protect children and young people from online predators, what to look out for and how to report abuse and suspicious activity.
CASAJWC said it wanted to ensure its advocates had access to this information because it provides support and services to children in foster care.
Natalie Julien, president and CEO of CASAJWC, said this training can help prepare children and their families for safety during their time in foster care.
“I think the online activity that we’re seeing and the children that we serve has become more of an obvious issue that we need to address now than ever before,” Julien said. “So we thought this was the perfect opportunity, with kids going back to school and having access to technology at home, at school and in the community, this is the right time to do it.”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, parents must also limit the amount of information they share online.
The agency said sex offenders could be anywhere, using phone apps like TikTok or searching for social media accounts that are not private.
Mark Zito, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations, said the agency wants to better educate parents and guardians about how sex offenders can reach children through smartphones.
“The more kids isolate themselves, the more they hide their phones, the more privacy they want and the more they have to themselves, the more they have their headphones or other personal devices – smartphones, laptops, tablets,” Zito says, “I think that’s a clear sign for them to be a little more vigilant, to look at their search histories and see what they’re engaging with.”
According to HSI, it’s never too early to start talking to kids and teens about the risks they face online, and to continue doing so at any age. Just like teaching a child how to cross the street safely, ongoing conversations and reminders are key to safe online habits.
For younger children:
- Teach them not to click on pop-ups.
- Explain to them that they should never share passwords, addresses or personal information online with people they don’t know.
- Establish a set of steps for your children to follow when they see inappropriate content, such as looking away and telling a parent or trusted adult.
- Warn them not to trust people they meet online, and tell them that if anyone makes them feel nervous, scared, or uncomfortable, they should tell a trusted adult.
- Teach your children online etiquette, how to be respectful of others, and make it clear to them that if they feel disrespected, they should tell someone.
- Help them find a trusted adult or guardian they can turn to if they need help.
For tweens and teens:
- Talk about how they should never post personal information or inappropriate content.
- Discuss sexting and the permanence of online dating.
- Teach them how to prevent online predators by setting up privacy controls on their devices, such as limiting apps’ location access.
- Explain the warning signs that indicate online predators.
- Tell them that trusted adults will not ask them to keep secrets or violate their boundaries.
- Help them find a trusted adult or guardian they can turn to if they need help.
- Discuss steps they can take if a friend confides in them about inappropriate online interactions, such as telling a trusted adult or pointing them to Know2Protect resources.
- Explain that minors are not allowed to distribute sexual abuse material as it is illegal.
- Explain that even if your child has already shared sexual abuse material or engaged in inappropriate online interactions, it is not too late to tell an adult and get help.
- Discuss cyberbullying.
You can submit a report in one of the following ways:
- Contact local, state or tribal law enforcement officials directly. In an emergency, call 911.
- Call the Know2Protect hotline at 833-591-KNOW (5669). All information received through the hotline will be reviewed by appropriate personnel and forwarded to Homeland Security Investigations field offices for possible investigation.
- Submit a cyber tip report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Wann2Report:
- If you suspect someone is exploiting or abusing a child, you should notify law enforcement as soon as possible, whether the suspect is an adult, teen, or child. To get a deeper understanding of the threat, visit Know the Threats. You should file a report if someone:
- Harassing a child or teen or making them feel unsafe online.
- Asks or pressures a child or teen to take photos or videos of their private body parts or to show their private body parts in a video call or live stream.
- A child or teen is threatened with the announcement that previous explicit images will be shared with others if the child does not provide more photos or money.
- Creates, distributes or possesses child sexual abuse material.
For more information, please visit the website.
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