GISD helping parents identify dangerous 'predator apps'

Sept. 30--With cell phones and tablets computer devices becoming growingly inseparable from day-to-day life, it's important for parents to stay educated on how predators prey on children through mobile applications.

The Greenville Independent School District, for its upcoming "Greenville ISD Parent University" seminar at Tuesday, Oct. 2, is partnering with the Hunt County Children's Advocacy Center for a workshop on "predator apps."

Parents are invited to learn how to better protect their children from social media mobile applications that predators use to take advantage of their victims. The event will begin 6:30 p.m. at Bowie Elementary School, located 6005 Stonewall St.

Staff from the advocacy center will lead the information session and workshop. The group works with Hunt County courts and represents children in court cases involving abuse and neglect.

The organization, in addition to its legal services, provides help to non-offending family members and works with a variety of agencies and medical professionals to ensure the safety of children in the county.

According to a 2018 study published by the Pew Research Center, nearly 95 percent of children between the ages of 13 and 17 own smartphones, and 45 percent of teenagers say they're almost always using the internet.

The U.S. Department of Justice website states:

"Technological advances, in particular the Internet and mobile devices, have facilitated the sex trafficking of children by providing a convenient worldwide marketing channel. Individuals can now use websites and social media to advertise, schedule, and purchase sexual encounters with minors. The Internet and mobile devices also allow pimps and traffickers to reach a larger clientele base than in the past, which may expose victims to greater risks and dangers."

Earlier this year in June, the Northeast Child Abduction Response Team began a public awareness campaign called "Archangel."

As part of the campaign, the organization works with law enforcement departments to educate parents about the new technologies that are being used by criminals to take advantage of unsuspecting children and their families.

Mike Rambo, the program coordinator of the response team, told the Herald-Banner that parents need to accept the reality that they need to be educated of these new threats, even if they are not comfortable with technology.

"Most of the trafficking of kids are done over the internet. When kids go into chat rooms they may not be talking to who they think they're talking to," Rambo said in June.

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