Fairfax Police Tips for Parents and Children Regarding ‘Sexting’

Electronic communication is a useful resource — but parents know that it can be fraught with peril, so they try to protect and educate their children. Many parents already have blocks on television channels, Internet access and more. However, the phenomenon called “sexting” — or sending nude pictures via text message, is becoming commonplace, and the City of Fairfax Police Department wants parents and children both to be aware of the situation.

While it may be shocking to some, the practice of sexting is not unusual among today’s youth. Many teens admit to using cell phones, computers, web cams, digital cameras and/or certain video game systems to take and distribute sexually explicit photographs of themselves or others.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children advises parents to offer a positive, empowering educational message when discussing sexting with their children. Parents are encouraged to become more involved in their children’s lives, be more aware of what they are doing and set limits.

The City of Fairfax Police Department offers the following suggestions:

• Set ground rules for use of wireless devices or wireless activity
• Know who your children are communicating with via the phone and online
• Learn how to use and understand the same technology devices that your children are using
• Talk to children about what to do if they receive explicit messages
• Know all of your children’s passwords and PIN numbers
• Frequently view your child’s account or accounts
• Discuss the consequences of their actions
• Advise your children not to write anything they wouldn’t say in public
• Reinforce the point that people are not always who they say they are when communicating online
• Look for unknown telephone numbers on your bill or your child’s cellular telephone
• Explain to your children instant messaging (IM) is only for chatting with school and family friends they know
• Make sure your children do not give out personal information
• “Google” your child’s name and see what comes up. This could make a good place to begin your conversation

Remember to show concern, listen compassionately and remain calm if your children share any distressing incidents they have encountered while online or while using their cell phone.

Visit a reliable resource, such as The Cyber Tipline (which is part of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ) or NetSmartz411, a helpdesk adn hotline for questions regarding Internet safety, computers and the Web, for questions such as:

• How many teens are actually engaging in “sexting?”
• How can I access my child’s text messages?
• What do online abbreviations/acronyms mean?
• What does it mean to “tag” a photo on Facebook?
• What is Omegle?
• Is monitoring software available for cell phones?
• How can I protect my child’s online reputation?
• How do I select the right monitoring software for my family?
• How can I protect my child when he or she uses a cell phone?

For information, call 703-385-7966.

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Posted by admin on Dec 11 2009. Filed under Consumer Tips, Fairfax County. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.