With April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, there’s no better time to be aware of online dangers for children using social media, apps, and games.

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES, April 4, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- It’s not a revelation to those with tweens and teens that they are consumed by social media. The number of youth who have a mobile device has more than doubled in the past few years. No wonder parents are terrified about what overdosing on social media means for their kids’ social life. And, parents, aren’t sure when, how, or even if they should intervene. There are many dangers associated with social media apps, online gaming, and websites that most young people, and their parents, are not educated to recognize those dangers. With April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, there’s no better time to be aware of online dangers for children.

As social beings, isolation can have a significant effect on our well-being. Most young people are longing for some sort of interaction with others that seems genuine. Sadly, more and more online predators are leveraging this reality. “Sad fishing” has come to describe the process of online predators searching for kids who seem sad, lonely, or depressed based on their public profiles on a variety of social media platforms.

Online sexual exploitation most commonly includes grooming, live streaming, consuming child sexual abuse material, and coercing and blackmailing children for sexual purposes. As technology advances, new forms of this crime emerge. Never before has it been easier for perpetrators to make contact with children, share images of abuse, hide their identity and profits – and inspire each other to commit further crimes.

Behind every image, video or screen, there is a real child victim being sexually exploited. Like other forms of sexual abuse, online abuse can scar victims emotionally and physically for a lifetime. But unlike other forms of abuse, the child can potentially be re-victimized millions of times – every time an image is watched, sent, or received.

To help address these issue, the Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama has awarded Fowler Davis 4 Change a grant to produce an educational video about digital safety, along with digital safety guides for young people, parents, and educators that will launch in October 2022. The video will focus on different types of digital awareness like Online Privacy, Digital Wellness, Cyberbullying, Hate Speech/Bias, Gaming, Online Sexual Abuse, Online Grooming, and more.

"Our goal is to provide prevention education and empower our youth to become better educated about digital safety and know the signs to help prevent them from being exploited and create a positive digital footprint" states Barbara Fowler, Executive Director of Fowler Davis 4 Change, a (501(c)(3) nonprofit, whose vision is to change lives through visual storytelling to create Awareness, Empowerment, and Action.

Sallye Longshore, Executive Director of the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama, says “we are committed to the prevention of child maltreatment. We advocate for children and the strengthening of families. There’s a lot of concern these days about the impact of social media and our teens using devices 24/7, the decay of inter-personal social skills, and all the different harms to kids’ mental wellness. We are thrilled to partner with Fowler Davis 4 Change to create this video and resources for education, awareness, and prevention.”

“In cyberspace, it can be difficult to determine if your child or teen is vulnerable and your child may not even realize it. As a parent, go with your gut instinct. Know who your children are talking to online. If you suspect something is going on, dig deeper and talk with your child. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for parents or caregivers, but you can put safety measures in places and encourage your child to use their digital device in a responsible way,” states Jeff Davis, Principal of Fowler Davis 4 Change.

Barbara Fowler
Fowler Davis 4 Change
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2022 Children's Trust Fund Overview Video

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