- 01
Talk to your children. Listen. Be proactive.
One of the main reasons children are drawn in is that they are looking for approval and support they are not getting at home. Childhood and adolescence are full of peer pressure, bullying and social pressure, and children make questionable choices to fit in. When your child can talk to you and ask about anything without being reprimanded, you lower their vulnerability in difficult situations. Have age-appropriate conversations about what to watch out for and what to do in a confusing or inappropriate situation. Address their questions and concerns, and let them know you will always listen and take appropriate action. Teach them what meaningful relationships look like, and the difference between someone who wants something from them and someone with genuine, good intentions.
- 02
Be their advocate. Teach them to say no and to tell you right away.
Teach them when and how to say no, and lead by example. Help them understand they have the autonomy to make positive choices and that you will back them up. Make sure they know there is no situation so bad that they cannot reach out to you; they should be able to report anything without fear of consequences. Agree a secret word or phrase they can use to alert you, and always go to them. Make sure they have your phone number and address memorised.
- 03
Be involved. Know what your child is doing.
It is your responsibility to know what they are doing online: which apps they use, who they message and call, and what pictures and videos they send and receive. When it comes to your children, safety comes before privacy, and monitoring is not optional. Have the passwords to their phone and social accounts, route their texts and activity to your phone, and keep tabs on phones, computers and game consoles with monitoring and parental control apps. Do not forget video games with chat rooms: offenders increasingly target children through games such as Fortnite.
Proactive measures
- Download the free FBI Child ID app to store photos and a physical description of your child, ready to send to authorities if they go missing.
- Regularly check the local and national offender registries and alert your family and friends.
- Check your children's phones, tablets and computers often.
- Use monitoring and parental control apps.
- Be open and honest with your children about the dangers of internet use, social media, apps and online games. Encourage transparent communication, listen, and answer their questions thoughtfully. Online harassment can escalate to a child being harmed or physically taken.
Prevention strategies, from the team
A replay of V4CR's live Q&A on prevention covers awareness, communication, involvement and education, internet safety, proactive measures, and the seven things every parent needs to know about offenders. Watch it in the video library.
Cyber security with technologist Mark Stross
Visionary technologist Mark Stross and former intelligence officer Craig "Sawman" Sawyer explain what families need to know to protect children online. Mark's grasp of technology, philosophy and the human experience informs a keen sense of what is happening and what is coming. He wrote a follow-up article and radio segment after the discussion.