APD reboots online safety knowledge

  • Published
  • By Airman Valerie Monroy
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  On Feb. 9, Safer Internet Day was celebrated around the world with people coming together for different events in an effort to create a safer internet. The observance gained official recognition in the U.S. in 2012, with a joint agreement between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the European Commission to work together to build a better internet for youth.

On Feb. 19, the Family Advocacy Program hosted an internet safety class for teens and parents.

The Anchorage Police Department's Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, gave a presentation that they provide throughout the Anchorage community.

The presentation provided parents and other interested individuals a look at current applications and social media that children and teens are using to socialize and interact.

"The reason we're here is because we know there's a generation gap," said APD Detective Mark Thomas. "As parents, we didn't grow up with computers."

Thomas explained the dangers of unmonitored online usage by children and suggested parents get more involved.

"There are dark corners where predators hang out, and they want to hurt our kids," Thomas said. "Nationally, one in three children are exposed to unwanted sexual material online, and one in seven  children have received a sexual solicitation."

Children should always have someone they can talk to if they are caught in these situations, even if it's not always the parents, Thomas said.

"Give them someone to talk to, whether it's a friend or another family member," Thomas said.

With the growth of the online community, bullying has also become more serious.

"Nowadays you can't get away from the bullying," said APD Sgt. Aaron Whitt. "People get courage because they're behind a keyboard and nobody knows who they are."

He explained that cyber bullying can cause serious depression for a lot of children, which can lead to suicide.

APD Detective Monique Doll, said a lot of teens can stop the bullying.

"One thing to do is not participate," Doll said. "Don't forward it and it won't get bigger.  You can save someone's life by simply being kind."

There was a separate presentation for teens, which allowed them to have a safe environment to hear similar information and to ask questions they may not have felt comfortable asking in front of their parents.

"This is the second year we've hosted this event on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and [we've] gotten great feedback that the JBER community would like to see this event happen each year," said Sarah Blanning, Family Advocacy Program outreach manager.

It was a great opportunity for parents to get accurate and timely information so they can have proactive conversations with their children, rather than waiting until something unfortunate has happened, Blanning continued.

"Every year, our youth are becoming more and more tech savvy but still have trouble fully understanding the risks and consequences of their actions," Blanning said. "This [class] served the dual purpose of helping teens recognize dangers, while also giving parents the necessary information to engage in much-needed conversation with their kids."