Transitioning to a new calendar year spurs many of us to be more mindful of positive change and focus on developing new, healthier habits or life skills. For parents, this annual phenomenon represents a perfect opportunity to lay the groundwork for an open and ongoing conversation with our kids about the potential dangers of online sexual predators.  

Talk to Your Kids About Using Tech Safely

Parents naturally wish that there was no need to address this topic, but unfortunately, ignoring the problem will never make it go away––it will only leave your child vulnerable. Sexual predators are relentless and will use any means at their disposal to find their next victim, including online grooming, sextortion, and luring kids to real-life meetings. A typical online predator is in the process of grooming 10 or more victims at a time.

Considering the fact that in 2024 even very young children spend increasing amounts of time online or on connected devices, it’s more crucial than ever to ensure children aren’t at undue risk of being exploited by these dangerous individuals. 

Here are some important points to cover with your children when you talk to them about how online predators operate:

• Remind your children that everything posted on the Internet or sent through their phone could end up in the wrong hands and may be used against them. 
• Teach them to respect their bodies and stress that they should never share any compromising photos of themselves or other kids.  
• Remind them not to share any personal information with people they do not know well in real life. 
• If they get a text or message online from a “stranger” or new “friend” that makes them feel uncomfortable or scared, they should let you know immediately so that you can take action. 

What Is Sextortion?

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), law enforcement received over 7,000 reports related to the online sextortion of minors in 2022, resulting in at least 3,000 victims (primarily boys) and more than a dozen deaths by suicide.  Keep in mind that these numbers only represent the individuals who came forward to report incidents of sextortion. A significant number of victims are too scared or embarrassed to tell anyone what happened to them. 

How Does Sextortion Happen?

Predators create fake accounts on social media platforms, chat rooms, and online games to begin a conversation with children and identify which of them are particularly lonely, hungry for attention, or otherwise susceptible to manipulation. Once a child engages, the predator will seek to gain their trust and eventually persuade them to send inappropriate photos or videos. The predator will threaten to share these images with a child’s friends and family if they don’t take further action, such as sending money or additional, more inappropriate materials. This is sextortion.

What Can I Do to Stop Sextortion?

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined several important action items for young people who have been victimized by sextortion.

• Remember, you are not to blame––the predator is.
• Before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator, ask for help. This can be a very complex problem that requires guidance from trusted adults or law enforcement agents.  
• Be aware that cooperating with or paying these predators rarely stops the blackmail and harassment.
• REPORT the predator’s account via the associated platform’s safety feature.
• BLOCK the predator and DO NOT DELETE the profile or messages. These pieces of evidence can provide critical assistance to law enforcement in identifying the responsible parties and preventing them from causing further harm.
• If you feel like you don’t have an adult in your corner, reach out to NCMEC for support by calling 1-800-THE-LOST, or email gethelp@ncmec.org. 

Parents or children can also take the following steps to address this issue:   

• Contact NCMEC to help remove any explicit images a predator has acquired from the Internet. 
• Visit cybertipline.org to report the incident to the FBI and request their help with that process.
• If children don’t feel they have adults in their corner, they can reach out to NCMEC for support at  gethelp@ncmec.org or call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST. 

The bottom line is this: If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and it must be reported. 

How Do I Report Sextortion?

• Call or email your local FBI field office. You can view this list of all FBI field offices and the areas they cover to find the contact information you need.
• If you’re not sure which field office to contact, call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
• Visit tips.fbi.gov to submit an online report.

What Else Can I Do to Prevent Sextortion?

In order to prevent kids from being exploited by predators, parents need to know who their children are talking to. One important tool that enables parents to block predators’ access is the OffenderWatch Family Safety App. For just $4.99 a month, parents can upgrade to a Family Watch subscription that enables them to track their child’s phone, get notified if their child lingers near a registered sex offender’s residence for a prolonged period of time, or receive alerts if a registered sex offender or any individual on a customized “Do Not Contact” attempts to communicate with their child phone via text, call, or email.

To learn more about the OffenderWatch Family Safety App and Family Watch subscription features, visit offenderwatch.com/family-safety-app.

After a year of exams, studying and hectic schedules, the kids are finally out of school. So that means time to relax, but it also means the words ‘I’m Bored’ are going to be heard multiple times.Don’t let them spend hours at a time on their smartphones or tablets. Try alternative ideas.

Get them outside!

Here are some ideas to encourage kids to step away from the blue screens and get active.Set Tech Ground RulesSet an allotted amount of screen time throughout the day and monitor your child’s phone or tablet to make sure they are not overdoing it. Make all mealtimes tech free. Set a certain time at night when technology should be shut down and charge all items in the living room, not their bedrooms.Encourage Physical ActivityPut the tech away and go play in the backyard, go for a hike, or have a nature scavenger hunt.Earn Tech TimeEstablish chores or outdoor activities that must be completed before screentime is awarded.Learning AppsDownload learning or family game apps you can do together. Consider hiking, biking and fitness apps or a family fitness challenge.Online SafetyIf you are going to allow screen time, be sure you know exactly what they are doing and familiarize yourself with what apps they are using. Regardless of the time of year, remind your kids that certain online rules need to always be followed. Do not “friend” anyone they do not know IRL, never give strangers personal information like their home address or phone number and be careful about what they post.

Summertime Safety Tips

Here are some safety reminders for kids playing outside.Stay hydrated: Encourage your child to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially when they are engaged in physical activities or spending time outdoors in the heat. Remind them to drink water even if they don't feel thirsty.Sun protection: Teach your child the importance of sun protection. Apply sunscreen with a high SPF to their exposed skin 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours. Encourage them to wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and lightweight, loose-fitting clothing to protect against harmful UV rays.Play safely in water: Whether swimming in a pool, lake, or ocean, ensure your child is always supervised by an adult who knows how to swim. If your child is not a strong swimmer, consider using approved flotation devices. Teach them about water safety rules, such as not running near the pool and never swimming alone.Heat safety: Be cautious about outdoor activities during peak heat hours, typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Encourage your child to take breaks in shaded areas or indoors to cool down. Remind them never to leave pets, or themselves, in a parked car, even for a brief time, as it can quickly become dangerously hot.Insect protection: Apply insect repellent to protect against mosquito bites and tick-borne diseases when spending time outdoors, especially in wooded or grassy areas. Teach your child to avoid areas with standing water, as they can attract mosquitoes.Playground safety: Inspect playground equipment to ensure it is in good condition and free from hazards. Teach your child to use equipment appropriately and avoid rough play that could lead to falls or injuries. Remind them to watch out for hot surfaces on slides, swings, or metal play structures.Bike safety: If your child rides a bicycle, ensure they always wear a properly fitted helmet. Teach them to follow traffic rules, stay on designated paths, and use appropriate hand signals. Encourage them to ride with a buddy or in groups in well-lit areas and never ride at dusk or in the dark without proper lights.Stay connected: If your child is old enough to be out and about without constant supervision, establish a system to stay connected. Make sure they have a cellphone or another reliable means of communication and set clear rules and boundaries about where they can go and when they should check in with you. Track your kids and locate sex offenders near them and get location notifications as they come and go from set locations. Learn more: www.offenderwatch.com/offenderwatch-family-safety-app.Let’s have a healthy, happy, and physically active summer!

Child abuse is a serious problem that affects millions of children around the world. Child abuse can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. It is a problem that affects all communities, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.About 1 in 7 children experienced child abuse and neglect in the last year. (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html)Preventing child abuse is everyone’s responsibility. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and members of the community all have a role to play in keeping kids safe.Here are a few ways to help prevent child abuse:1. Education and Awareness Parents, caregivers, and teachers need to be aware of the signs of child abuse and how to report it. They should also be aware of the resources available to them, such as hotlines and counseling services.Children should also be aware of their rights and how to protect themselves from abuse. They should be taught to recognize abusive behaviors and to tell a trusted adult if they are being abused.2. Positive ParentingThis type of parenting approach emphasizes love, respect, and understanding. It focuses on building a positive relationship between the parent and child. Positive parenting involves setting clear boundaries and expectations, but also providing children with love and support.3. Support ServicesParents and caregivers should have access to support services that can help them cope with the stresses of parenting. These services can include counseling, parenting classes, and support groups. They can help parents develop the skills they need to be effective caregivers and help prevent abuse.4. Reporting AbuseReporting abuse is a critical step in preventing further harm to a child. Anyone who suspects that a child is being abused should report it immediately to the appropriate authorities. This includes teachers, healthcare providers, and members of the community.By increasing awareness about child and family well-being and working together to implement effective strategies that support families, we can create a safer and healthier world for all children.RESOURCES AVAILABLE:Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453)This hotline is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse. Serving the U.S. and Canada, the hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who—through interpreters—provide assistance in over 170 languages. If you suspect child abuse or neglect, call 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). For more information about the hotline, visit https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/.Children’s Maltreatment 2021 Report To see additional data on child maltreatment, you can access this report, available on the Children’s Bureau website, at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/data-research/child-maltreatment.OffenderWatch AppThe OffenderWatch App is a great tool to track your kids, get notified as they come and go from places, and get alerted if they are contacted by a registered sex offender or a person on your watch list. Parents can set up a watchlist of persons who should not contact their child (e.g., an ex with a protective order or a bully) or locations the child should avoid (home of the ex with restraining order, a park where drug users frequent, or the street known for human trafficking).http://www.offenderwatch.com/offenderwatch-family-safety-app.

You may have received a notice of a registered sex offender that moved close to where you live. Maybe you are concerned because your child walks to the bus stop past the home of a registered sex offender. Maybe you have the OffenderWatch App on your child’s phone and have located the registered sex offenders located near them. Now how do you talk to your child about sex offenders?How do I Talk to My Kids About Sex Offenders?Grade-schoolers can begin to understand that a person who appears nice can have hurtful intentions.

• Tell your child that while most people care about children and would help them in any situation, some choose to hurt children.
• Stress to your child the importance of being cautious of people they do not know.
• Your child should not walk or ride bikes in the neighborhood without adult supervision, or if old enough, they should only do so in the company of two or more friends.
• Say that an individual who was in prison lives nearby.
• Use the notice to point the individual out to your child and tell them to stay away from that person.

Answering your Child’s QuestionsMany children will accept your directions for steering clear of the person. Others will have questions. You will need to explain further because if you do not, they will find someone else to ask. You want your child to get their information from you.Child: Why was that person in prison?Parent: They hurt a child.Child: What did they do?Parent: They touched the child inappropriately, in their private areas, which is a crime.Child: Why did they do that?Parent: Some things you will not understand until you are older, and this is one of them. I do not completely understand it myself.Further PrecautionsEven after your explanation and warning, you might need to see that an adult escorts your child and their friend's home from school and you may want to keep them from roaming the neighborhood on their bicycle. If approached by the individual in question, tell your child to get away quickly. They should let you know what happened when they get home or tell an adult nearby, or if they have a cell phone, they should call you.Here are some more basic safety skills:

• Teach your child to trust their feelings and say NO and run away from a situation that does not feel right.
• There are some strangers that can assist them if they need help – other parents with children, other children, police in uniform or store clerks.
• Teach your child to dial 911.

What if my child is contacted by a registered sex offender?Do not confront the individual. If the behavior of the individual seems inappropriate, contact your local law enforcement, and inform them of your suspicion. If your child received an email or text message, be sure to save it and take a screen shot of it. If you received an email or postcard notice about an offender, contact the local agency listed on the notice. Or call your local Sheriff’s Office. Your local law enforcement will investigate for you.Download the OffenderWatch AppDownload the OffenderWatch Family Safety App and locate registered sex offenders near your address, your child’s location, and track your child. You can also set up an account for your child and get alerts if a registered sex offender contacts your child through call, text, or email. Click to learn more: https://offenderwatch.com/offenderwatch-family-safety-app/.

A frightening trend!

• An online perpetrator sent Ryan a romantic picture of a young female and asked for one of him in return. Immediately after Ryan shared an intimate photo of his own, the cybercriminal demanded $5,000, threatening to make the photo public and send it to Ryan’s family and friends. Hours later, police said, a panicked Ryan took his own life.
• Brian Montgomery lost his 16-year-old son after he took his own life when he was extorted with explicit imagery. His teen son reportedly received a message from an Instagram account, modeling an "attractive" young girl, that lured him into communication after claiming to be a mutual acquaintance.  Eventually, Walker opened a video chat with the perpetrators, who recorded him partaking in sexual activity. Shortly after, they pressed him for $1,000, his father said, using the imagery as leverage. 
• “The Monster knew exactly what to say and what to post to get into a 15-year-old's brain.” Once the hacker had a picture of Braden, Argiro-Markus said her son was threatened and told to pay the predator $1,800 or "else the monster" was going to release it among other pictures the hacker took from Braden's Instagram account. "The messages go on and on for 27 minutes," she wrote. "The last five minutes of B's life, he said over and over again, 'I am only 15, why are you doing this to me? I am only 15, you will ruin my life.' It is a thread that in a way I wish I never read, but here we are." At 11:28 a.m., Braden died by suicide.

Victims of Sextortion Committing Suicide

The FBI reports an explosive increase in teenage boys being targeted online and extorted for money through sextortion.Sextortion has gained popularity among predators because it is something that predators can do through any online site, app, gaming, messaging, or social media platform. Sometimes the predator will make first contact by sending a threat saying they already have a revealing photo or video and are going to share publicly if the teen doesn’t send additional photos. More often, it starts with a teen thinking they are communicating with someone their age, a peer, who is interested in forming a relationship.After they have gained the trust of their victim, the predator will ask for a sexual or risqué photo or video. Once they have received it, they will then threaten to publish it or share it with the teen’s family and friends if they don’t send money or additional photos.These predators know where to reach kids, which ones to target, and how to talk to them on their level. One person the FBI put in prison for this crime was a 40-year-old man who previously worked as a youth minister so he could learn how teens talked to one another.Unfortunately, many teens feel there is no way out of an embarrassing situation like this. The shame, confusion, and fear of this getting out will cause teens anxiety, depression, and in many cases, could lead to suicide.Here are a few suggestions for teens to prevent Sextortion or actions to take if it is happening to you:

• Be very selective about what you share online and especially be wary of strangers. Block or ignore messages from those you don’t know in real life.
• Any content you create online can be made public. Nothing actually “disappears”
• Be aware that people can pretend to be someone different online. Videos and photos on their profiles could be fake.
• Ask for help. If you are receiving messages or requests online that don’t seem right, go to an adult immediately. Screenshot any messages and then block the sender.
• If you are in a sextortion situation, reach out to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or report the crime online at tips.fbi.gov. Agents see these cases all the time and have helped thousands of young people. They want to stop the harassment, arrest the predator, and get young people the support they need.
• Remember – you are NOT the one in trouble and you are NOT alone. Although it may feel hopeless, there are professionals available to help you and your family. If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about your child, or friend, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States by dialing 988.

Free OffenderWatch Family Safety App

Sexual predators who are convicted are listed on the sheriff’s sex offender registry. Parents can download the free OffenderWatch Family Safety app to see registered offenders who live nearby. Parents can track their children as they come and go from home, school, or a friend’s house and see if sex offenders live nearby them and get alerts from the Sheriff’s office if a registered offender moves into their neighborhood.https://offenderwatch.com/offenderwatch-family-safety-app/Visit these links for additional resources and articles:Contact the Suicide and Crisis Hotline: https://988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortionhttps://tips.fbi.gov/https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/20/us/california-ryan-last-sextortion-scam-arrest/index.htmlhttps://www.foxnews.com/media/father-warns-instagram-sextortion-scam-targeting-teen-boys-son-suicide-evilhttps://www.today.com/parents/teens/sextortion-one-mom-warning-parents-sons-death-rcna55471https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/fbi-michigan-teens-suicide-caused-by-sextortion-from-online-predator

New Year, new resolutions, right?Healthy habits, exercising, and drinking more water may be on your list, but if you are a parent,one of those resolutions should be to keep your child safer by educating them on the dangers of predators.Talk to Your KidsIt’s unfortunate that this is a topic parents must address, but child predators never stop. From online grooming, sextortion, and eventually real-life meetings, these predators are constantly searching for their next victims. Most online predators are grooming over 10 victims at a time.

• Remind your child that everything posted on the internet and even messages sent through their phone, could get into the wrong hands, and used against them. 
• Teach them to respect their bodies and not share any compromising photos of themselves or other kids.  
• Remind them to not share any personal information with those they do not know in real life. 
• If they get a text or message online from a “stranger” or new “friend” that makes them feel uncomfortable or scared, they should immediately come to you so you can take action. 

SextortionAccording to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), over the past year, law enforcement received over 7,000 reports related to the online sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. And that is only the number of those that came forward to report it. A lot of victims are too scared or embarrassed to let anyone know.Using social media platforms, chat rooms, and online games, predators will create fake accounts and begin a conversation, learning which children are lonely, seeking attention, or most vulnerable. Once a child partakes in that conversation, the predator will earn their trust and eventually persuade them to send inappropriate photos or video.Child predators will then tell the child if they do not send money or do something more inappropriate, they will share it with their friends and family. This is sextortion.If Your Child is A Victim of SextortionThe National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including:

• Remember, the predator is to blame, not your child or you.
• Get help before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator.  
• Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail and continued harassment.
• REPORT the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.
• BLOCK the predator and DO NOT DELETE the profile or messages because that can be helpful to law enforcement in identifying and stopping them.
• Let NCMEC help get explicit images of you off the internet.
• Visit cybertipline.org to report to the FBI for help with the process.
• Ask for help. This can be a very complex problem and may require help from adults or law enforcement.
• If children don’t feel they have adults in their corner, they can reach out to NCMEC for support at  gethelp@ncmec.org or call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST. 

If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.We Can HelpParents need to know who their kids are talking to. Download the OffenderWatch family safety app. With the Family Watch subscription, parents can receive alerts if a registered sex offender contacts their child via text, call, or email, track their child’s phone, and get notified if their child lingers near an offender’s residence for a prolonged period.www.offenderwatch.com/offenderwatch-family-safety-app.It is everyone’s job to work together to prevent the unthinkable.

Making the decision to buy your child a cell phone is not an easy one. As the holidays approach, chances are, a cell phone will be on their gift list.But are they ready for one? Parents should ask themselves several questions and make sure they are prepared to hand over that responsibility to their child.Is a cell phone a want or a need? Most kids want a cell phone because it’s the cool thing to have. Everyone else has one, so why not? But do they need a cell phone? Do they need to be able to contact you in case of emergencies? Do they need to be able to search the internet for information? Do they need to be able to communicate with friends or use certain apps?Are they mature enough to handle the responsibility? Not only can a cell phone be a great device for information, but it can also be a dangerous device for giving your child access to things they may not be ready to see and giving predators access to your child. Do they show responsibility in other areas of their life? Do they take care of other things you have bought them?Do you have the right securities in place? Even if your child seems responsible, they still need supervision. You need to be aware of the popular apps and how they work, set up the appropriate privacy settings, and download a safety app that can watch out for you, like the OffenderWatch Family Safety App.Learn more at www.offenderwatch.com/offenderwatch-family-safety-app.Important Data from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.org/ourwork/ncmecdataOther Important articles to check out:https://offenderwatch.com/online-predators-and-the-grooming-process/https://offenderwatch.com/tips-for-talking-to-children-about-sex-offenders/

Have a Safe and Happy Holidays!

And just like that, summer is coming to an end and back to school is right around the corner. We've compiled some tips to help ensure you and your kids start the new school year off safely.

Click here to download the pdf: Back to School Safety 2022.

As parents, you have probably used the phrase ‘Stranger Danger” to describe to your kids those people to avoid. However, some kids will heed the warning from their parents, and some would still go with a stranger if offered candy or to assist in looking for a stranger’s lost dog.In today’s world, it’s even scarier because “strangers” can now attempt to contact your kid in real life and online.Although it is a sensitive topic, the best defense for your kids against child sexual predators is to start the conversations early so they are educated and get the correct information from you, and not someone else.Depending on your kid’s age, the conversation may not be as in depth as it might be with a teenager, but here are some examples of what to say in different scenarios.If a registered sex offender moves into your neighborhood:

1. Tell your kid that someone who has done something harmful to kids has moved into your area.
2. Because of this, your kid can only venture out into their neighborhood either with a group of friends or under adult supervision, but never alone.
3. If they ask about details of what the offender did, simply say they did something inappropriate to hurt a child.
4. Remember to remind your kid that most people in this world do care about kids, but there are also those that do have harmful intentions towards kids.
5. Make sure your kid is aware of the address of the house to avoid, and if there is a photo of the individual, share that with them as well, so they can recognize the offender.
6. Be open to any questions they have and let them know they can come to you to talk about this matter at any time.
7. Some young kids may not comprehend the subject matter and think it’s a joke or not going to affect them. Tell them to take the situation seriously and reassure them that you are trying to protect them, not just scare them.

Many kids today, as young as 7, have a cell phone. This makes them easily accessible to strangers anywhere. Whether your kid plays online games, talks to other players in chat rooms, engages on social media, or sends texts to “friends”, they could be chatting with or contacted by a child predator.

1. The first thing you need to remind your kid is that everything posted on the internet and even messages sent through their phone, could get into the wrong hands, and used against them.
2. Teach them to respect their bodies and not share any compromising photos of themselves or other kids. And remind them to not share any personal information with those they do not know in real life.
3. If they get a text or message online from a “stranger” or new “friend” that makes them feel uncomfortable or scared, they need to immediately come to you so you can take action.
4. Conduct some “what-if” scenarios to help your child identify warning signs that something is not right, so together you can prevent them from being lured into a bad situation.

Having these conversations does not make you a “helicopter” or nosey parent. It doesn’t even mean you don’t trust your kid.Having these conversations could prevent the unthinkable and it gives them the tools they need to protect themselves.Download the OffenderWatch App, the family safety tool that allows you to track your kids, locate registered sex offenders near your family and send you alerts if your kid is contacted by a registered sex offender through call, text, or email.Learn more: https://offenderwatch.com/sex-offenders-near-me/.

We often see questions from parents about the new apps their kids are using. Are they safe? What does this app do? Are there any parental controls I can use? Here are some recommendations from the OffenderWatch Team to help navigate this year’s most popular social media platforms.

Discord

This app originally started as a meeting place for video gamers to chat but has evolved into a platform for text, voice-chat, and video-chat to discuss a variety of topics. Discord users can host their own public or private “servers” that revolve around a certain user or topic, much like a chat room.  

• While many servers are moderated and can be age-appropriate, others are very inappropriate for children because of hateful, inaccurate, or explicit content.

• There are specific “NSFW” servers that require a user to be 18 or older, but these restrictions can be easily bypassed by a user. Discord requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account, but they do not verify users’ age upon sign-up.

Our Recommendation: Teens aged 15+

• If you do allow your child to use Discord, the safest option for a minor is to join a private group comprised of only people they know in real life.  
• Request that your child show you their group’s typical feed to get an understanding of the specific content they’re consuming and contributing to before allowing them to participate further.
• With the right privacy settings and monitoring, Discord can be a safe environment for your child, however, parents should discuss with them how to recognize and deal with online predators before actively using this app.

Parler

Originally created as an alternative to Twitter and Facebook, Parler has grown in popularity with politically conservative people. Marketed as a platform without any censorship, Parler continues to top Apple’s App Store charts since early November 2020. Parler allows for its users to post short messages of up to 1,000 characters in length and direct message users for a private conversation.

• It is harder to be completely anonymous on Parler—users need to submit an email and a phone number to join. Users can also sign up for a “verified” classification that requires a photocopy of a valid driver’s license of picture ID and a selfie.
• Users can auto-block certain words or sensitive material, but it requires effort from the user to initiate these keyword blocks.
• Although the platform does offer some basic community guidelines (no pornography, no death threats allowed, etc.), Parler is its own wild west of communication. They claim to keep banning of users to a minimum, but they have begun increasing their authority as more users begin to join.

Our Recommendation: Adults only

• Although Parler has banned people for inappropriate conduct in the past, they do pride themselves on limiting intervention as much as possible. It’s best to leave Parler to the adults.  

Houseparty

Houseparty is a video chatting app with minimal room for parental control. Friends can communicate through live video and texts in group chats. This can be dangerous—there’s absolutely no screening process upon entry and there are no restrictions on sharing and viewing inappropriate content.  

• Although only users who are friends can invite each other to groups, there’s nothing stopping a potential predator from entering a group chat as long as they’ve already connected with someone on the app.
• Houseparty doesn’t have a moderating system. Unlike static posts that a moderator may review, live chats featured in this app are completely unregulated. It’s impossible to predict what kids might see, especially if they’re in chats with strangers they don’t know.
• Houseparty does allow for users to report or block users they encounter. Once a user is blocked, they will no longer be able to communicate with your child.

Our Recommendation: Teens aged 15+

• We recommend young children refrain from using this app, but if they do, make sure it’s under adult supervision with a parent or guardian within earshot.

Reddit

Reddit has been around for several years and its userbase spans multiple generations. As a microcosm of the internet, this ever-expanding forum offers a variety of content from the mundane to the fascinating. The site and app are made up of “subreddits,” which act as post-based chatrooms centered on a single topic. Anyone can create and moderate a subreddit, making it an endless repository of information on anything you can imagine.  

• Its robust user-based voting system helps police the forums. Responses with the most positive votes float top the top, while negatively reviewed posts get pushed to the bottom of the feed. Usually, this helps with getting rid of inappropriate content organically, but they do offer a moderating component as well.
• It takes little effort to make a new account. Many users make “throwaway” accounts to hide their post history. This kind of anonymity can make it difficult for a user to escape from a potential cyberbullying situation.

Our Recommendation: Teens aged 15+

• We suggest that parents sit down with their children to discuss which forums they which to frequent. Reddit can be a great learning tool, but it’s important for parents to constantly discuss what capacity their teens are using the platform.
• Proceed with caution. Reddit is best for older teens with a critical eye for misinformation and a moderate level of internet safety intelligence.

For more internet safety tips, follow OffenderWatch on Facebook and Twitter.