Many parents will tell me that they don’t allow their precious little Johnny to watch TV or spend too much time on the Internet. They have a similar bone to pick with the juggernaut that is the media, but their approach is a short-sighted, sheltered one. Protecting our kids from media by limiting or restricting exposure will only work for so long. We don’t, unfortunately, live under a rock, and if your kids aren’t watching TV or surfing the Net at home, they’ll eventually find a way to do so. No one can hide from advertisements, violent or hyper-sexualized images, etc.  If children learn from an early age to understand and interpret how the media works, then they’re well on their way to being well-adjusted 21st century adults who can think for themselves.

As a parent, you likely fall into the “old school” category when it comes to video games and online gaming. It’s possible that these things didn’t even exist for most of your life. This state of mind can become a real problem when it comes to your child’s online gaming.

Until just a few years ago, playing on video game consoles like XBOX and Playstation meant inviting a few friends over and playing in a small group.

A recent study done by the American Psychological Association found that of all internet offenders only 5 percent pretended to be teenagers. Most of the time teens met with offenders more than 1 time. They also found that teens who engaged in risky behaviors like maintaining friend lists with people they did not know were much more likely to receive online sexual solicitations. The problem is, most teens are still not as concerned about the risks of sharing information and photos to the public.

By educating your children to these techniques you can greatly increase their ability to spot a sexual predator before they have had a chance to steal the child’s trust. You should also make sure that your children know to tell you or someone they trust if they ever encounter someone they expect of using one of these techniques either on the internet or in real life.

When someone is grooming your child, you will definitely feel it in your gut. A good parent knows that something wrong is going on with a child. And before something worse happens, like sexual assault, you should act immediately. It does not matter if your suspicions or instincts are mistaken, what is important is being able to save your child from a sexual offender.