Police urge parents to talk internet safety with children following recent child sexual assaults

Police are urging parents to have conversations with their children regarding internet safety after several child sexual assaults have been investigated in the province.

Since the beginning of March, police have laid numerous charges in at least six separate sexual assault investigations.

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In several cases, the suspect used social media to talk with their victim, before arranging a meetup and sexually assaulting them.

RCMP said in a statement Thursday, “it is not uncommon for perpetrators to utilize alternative social media platforms and different user names.”

Plenty of tips and resources are available to help parents and youth with internet safety. Tips include:

• Maintain open lines of communication between parents and children.
• Have your child teach you about apps, games, or Internet sites they are using. Make it a family activity.
• Make sure they know to never, under any circumstances, reveal personal information over the Internet, whether in chat rooms, surveys or on websites. They must never agree to meet a person they have met on the Internet.
• If they see or read content online that upsets them, ensure they report it to an adult immediately. 
• Keep your computer in a high-traffic area of the home.
• Learn how to restrict access to the Internet when there is no supervision available.
• Learn what family-friendly or parental controls exist within your Internet service provider.
• Use protective software including anti-virus and firewall protection. Research the use of parental monitoring software in certain circumstances.

Available resources include CyberTip, Thorn for Parents, Need Help Now, and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children — which provide various supports from helping parents understand what their children might be facing, to reporting incidents of child exploitation.

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Most importantly, if you believe your child may be a victim of a sexual assault, contact your local police.