It's one of the things parents fear most.

Using the internet is an everyday part of life for most families in the Quad Cities. Filters help, but when it comes to online safety, are they enough? Do you feel your child is equipped to know how to handle this if they are approached?

A 45 year old college swim coach of 18 years, all the way from Maryland, has been caught with child pornography and online contact with a child from Knox County. That hits very close to home and it wasn't his only juvenile contact. Predators online are there every day, waiting for your child to give them the green light, whether they mean to or not.

This is yet another story of online victimization of a child that makes me more determined to teach my own children (and share this information with my friends who are parents) even more about online safety. Knowledge is power but if they don't put it into action when timing is critical, it could already be too late.

But how do you teach them without also making them super afraid?

I searched the web and found these resources to help. It is my hope that by empowering our children to know when to take action and how to spot it, there will be one less child harmed.

* FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation Parent Tips - How to tell if your child is at-risk.

 

More From US 104.9