DAPHNE, Ala. (WALA) – The FBI and the Daphne Police Department partnered Wednesday to train Baldwin County school resource officers, school administrators and law enforcement partners on how to identify warning signs of online child exploitation.
The training focused on equipping those closest to students with tools to act before exploitation occurs, as federal agents say the threats children face online continue to evolve.
Warning signs
The FBI wants every adult who works with students to know the warning signs of online exploitation. Those signs can include sudden secrecy about online activity, withdrawing from family and friends, unexplained changes in behavior or self-harm.
Jordan Hadfield, FBI Mobile assistant special agent in charge, said predators are targeting children on a global scale.
“Online issues we see right now are predators targeting children on platforms that are global, having conversations with people they do not know or have met in person,” Hadfield said.
Front-line leaders
The FBI says school resource officers and educators are often the first adults outside the home to notice when something is wrong.
“With our school administrators and resource officers, they are our front-line leaders,” Hadfield said. “Children use their phones in many different ways. We want to ensure that when parents aren’t around, we want to make sure the people we ask to safeguard them also know about all of these threats.”
Daphne Police Chief Brian Gulsby said it is important for school administrators to recognize the sites students are visiting and what exploitation looks like.
“It’s important for them to recognize the sites they are visiting and what exploitation looks like,” Gulsby said.
Goal is prevention
Officials said the goal of the training is prevention, not reaction. The training is designed to give school officials the tools to spot concerning behavior early and connect families with help before exploitation occurs.
The FBI encourages parents to have regular conversations with their children about their online activity and who they are communicating with. Anyone who suspects a child is being targeted by an online predator can call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
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