We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Simona Rebbavarapu and Undersheriff Frank Billmayer visit after the Internet Safety for Parents held last week at Chinook's Alliance Church. About 40 people came to learn about the issues of predators trying to connect with children via the internet.
Blaine County Undersheriff Frank Billmayer presented "internet safety for parents," a program to help parents be aware of dangers to kids using the internet, to about 40 people last week in Chinook. The audience included parents of school age children, grandparents, and young parents with babes in arms. Billmayer is a member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Much of the presentation was based on information from investigations and prosecutions carried out by the task force to stop predators on the internet. The event was hosted by the Chinook Alliance Church.
Many choices for kids and predators
Billmayer opened the presentation with this comment: "We have to engage our children about internet use, if we don't, the predators will engage them." He went on to caution parents about the importance of knowing who kids are chatting with online and what information they are sharing online. "Part of the problem," he added, "is that 78% of parents don't know all the ways kids can send images on the internet. A recent study showed that lack of parental knowledge about how kids communicate."
With an eye to giving the audience some appreciation for all the social media choices kids have, he explained a few of the major ways kids share information. Billmayer said, "Kids seem to move from one social media outlet to another. It's almost as if they move to a new social media outlet to keep parents and adults in the dark about what they are doing."
Most sites and phone apps have a use agreement-you know, that long string of miniscule print that you ignore, then scroll to the end of and click "accept." Billmayer said the use agreements may allow an individual user's personal data to be shared. He said, "Most of the data sharing is for marketing purposes, but predators have learned how to access and use that data to find all kinds of information about targeted victims." The more apps you download and the more social media sites you use, there is more of your personal data on the internet. And the more 'friends' you accept through social media, the easier it is for predators to make contact and begin building online relationships with their targets.
Some suggestions for parents
To insure some level of safety for kids from online predators, Billmayer suggests some straight talk with kids, alerting them to why chatting or sharing information with unknowns is a potential danger. "With the anonymity of internet chatting," he explained, "a predator can pose as another teen just wanting to talk to someone who understands their problems. The predators use that connection to begin grooming kids to eventually meet or gain materials and information that can put kids in compromising positions." His simple rule, "If you don't know someone in real life, don't talk to them online."
Parents may also resort to using monitoring systems, software that logs activity on a child's phone. mSpy and Teen Safe are two that have a large number of users. Billmayer said, "It's not about invasion of your child's privacy, it's about protecting them." He added, "For these predators it's all about numbers, if a potential victim doesn't respond, they simply move on to the next one, hoping to connect to find someone to victimize."
The best option when a parent or a child is contacted by someone asking for personal data, is not to respond. He said, "If you or your child get a threatening message don't block or delete it, but contact law enforcement. Many of the cases made against predators by the Montana Task Force started when an alert child or parent gave us access to the message. Law enforcement has the technology to track the person who sent the message and begin an investigation.
According to Billmayer, here are the basic rules for online safety: no 'online only' friends; restrict the personal information you post on social media; if requested to meet someone or you receive gifts, recognize that as a red flag; don't communicate with people you don't know and think before you post on social media. Remember, whatever you post likely never goes away.
Billmayer is willing to give, and has given, many presentations to area teens, parents or combinations of both. He said, "I prefer to present to smaller groups of kids and parents so we can talk about specific questions or concerns the kids or parents may have. To contact Undersheriff Billmayer about a potential breach of online safety or to schedule an online safety presentation, call him at the Blaine County Sheriff's Office: 357-3260.
