PARENTS & GUARDIANS
Talk to your child about online predators
Online predators often target children who are lonely or who have low self-esteem. Many kids with learning and thinking differences struggle with social as well as academic skills. That’s why it’s important to help your child be wary of strangers she meets online. Make clear that some online predators are old men or women pretending to be kids. And some predators are young adults or even teenagers. It may help to show your child news stories about predators who met kids through social networks or gaming platforms.
As ALWAYS, if you feel that your child is in immediate danger, or a predator has attempted to meet your child in person, CALL THE POLICE. The information listed below contains preventative measures to help you identify if your child is in danger. Remember to always check your kid's devices.
15 APPS PARENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
MeetMe: A dating social media app that connects people based on location. Users are encouraged to meet in person.
WhatsApp: A messaging app that allows texts, video calls, photo sharing and voicemails with users worldwide.
Bumble: Similar to Tinder, but requires women to make the first contact. Law enforcement says kids and teens can create fake accounts and falsify their age.
Live.Me: A live-streaming app that uses geolocation to share videos. The sheriff's office said users can earn "coins" to "pay" minors for photos.
Ask.FM: The sheriff's office said this app lets users ask anonymous questions and is known for cyberbullying.
Grindr: A dating app geared toward the LGBTQ community based on user location.
TikTok: A new app popular with kids lets users create and share short videos. Law enforcement said the app has "very limited privacy controls" and users can be exposed to cyberbullying and explicit content.
Snapchat: One of the most popular social media apps in the world, Snapchat lets users take and share photos and videos. The app also lets people see your location.
Holla: This self-proclaimed "addicting" video chat app lets users meet people in seconds. Law enforcement said users have seen racial slurs and explicit content.
Calculator+: Police say this is one of several apps that are used to hide photos, videos, files and browser history.
Skout: A location-based dating app that is supposed to prohibit people under 17 from sharing private photos. However, police say kids can easily create an account with a different age.
Badoo: A dating and social media app where users can chat and share photos and videos based on location. Police say the app is supposed to be for adults only, but they've seen teens create accounts.
Kik: Police say kids can bypass traditional text messaging features using this app. Kik "gives users unlimited access to anyone, anywhere, anytime," the sheriff's office said.
Whisper: An anonymous social network that lets users share secrets with strangers. Police say it also shows users' location so people can meet up.
Hot or Not: The app lets users rate profiles, check out people in their area and chat with strangers. Police say the goal of the app is to hook up.
COPYRIGHT ALLIANCE AGAINST CHILDHOOD EXPLOITATION (ACE) © 2020 ENDCHILDHOODEXPLOITATION.ORG