Human Trafficking - Parental tips to safeguard your children.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Human Trafficking.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department is hosting a campaign focused on how to discuss human trafficking with youth and here are 10 Things Parents Can Do

1. Talk with your child about the potential dangers of Internet activities. Tell them you have a responsibility to monitor their Internet use and will check their accounts periodically.

2. Spend time with your child on-line. Have them teach you about their favorite web sites.

3. Keep the computer or cell phones in a common room in your home, and set time limits for their use.

4. Utilize parental controls provided by your service provider and/or blocking software. Make sure they know what sites they are not allowed to visit.

5. Always maintain access to your child's online account and randomly check his/her e-mail. This means that you must have your child's password. Do not allow them to have multiple e-mail accounts. Be up front with your child about your access and reasons why.

6. Install an operating system that makes you the administrator of the family computer. This allows you to set what content can be viewed online, and software that can be installed.

7. Tell your children to let you know immediately if a stranger tries to make contact with them on the Web.

8. Make sure your child knows what online activities are against the law. Illegal activities include making threats against someone else online, hacking, downloading pirated software, creating bootlegged software, sharing music files online, and for children under age 18, making online purchases.

9. Go online with your kids and find out who they send Instant Messages to and/or chat with. Do not allow your children to send Instant Messages during homework-related computer time.

10. Instruct your children:

a. To never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they met online. DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS. b. To never upload or post pictures of themselves onto the Internet or on-line service or send to people they do not personally know. c. To never give out identifying information such as their name, home address, school name, telephone number or birth date. d. To never download pictures from an unknown source, as there is a good chance there could be sexually explicit images. e. To never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, or harassing. f. That whatever they are told on-line may or may not be true.

All Information Provided By Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department Human Trafficking Bureau Captain Merrill Ladenheim 4700 Ramona Boulevard Monterey Park, CA 91754-2169