With careful monitoring, many apps and social media sites can be used safely by teens and tweens. Others have no place on a child’s phone or device under any circumstances. But in the rapidly-evolving online world, how are parents supposed to learn the difference?

Spring Break can be a great time to enjoy the season with friends and family. Make this year's spring break memorable by having fun and helping yourself, your friends, and others stay safe while traveling and at your destination. These tips from OffenderWatch Initiative can help you and your loved ones stay safe while traveling.

written by Kim W.

As a parent of a teenager, I have found myself many times getting preoccupied with what my child is doing on social media but not just what he is doing. I also find myself consumed with knowing what he is seeing. Thankfully, I’ve got a rare case of a child who really is not a big fan of social media. He is fourteen years old, and I don’t know any other fourteen year olds who feel that they can live without it. Now, having said that, he is a “lurker” since he only watches what everyone else is doing on social media. That is one of my concerns.

He is accepting Instagram followers and Facebook friends. He does not “post” but he does see what others are doing. I had to have a serious discussion with him about who he accepts as followers and friends, but until very recently, I thought we were done with that conversation. It was easy: do not accept friends or followers that you do not know.

For parents of teens and tweens who use text messaging with any frequency, it can be tough to figure out whether or not the content of their messages is appropriate when so much of the conversation consists of tiny pictures and smiley faces. While many of these images (known as emojis) can be perfectly innocent, some kids are using them as a means to engage in sexually graphic communication right under their parents’ noses.

To help you understand when you should worry about emojis showing up in your children’s text messages, here’s a handy cheat sheet of some of the more common emojis used for sexting:

As use of electronic devices becomes almost universal among adults in the U.S., it’s no surprise to learn that use of devices is skyrocketing among children as well. Experts estimate that at least 1 out of every 5 elementary students owns a cell phone, and that number more than quadruples among teens. However, the technology often advances faster than many parents can keep up with, and children tend to lack the developmental maturity to realize when certain social boundaries are being crossed. This combination can be disastrous when it comes to protecting children from sexual predators.

So how can we lessen the danger of sexual abuse or harm and empower children to make safe choices?