LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — As children spend more time online than ever before, Virginia leaders and law enforcement officials are urging families to stay vigilant against online predators, scammers, cyberbullies and identity thieves.
Del. Wendell Walker sponsored a first-of-its-kind Virginia resolution designating Aug. 1 as an annual day to educate families about online risks and ways to prevent them.
“There are no firewalls to these internet predators,” Walker said. “They know how to get these things. They know how to reach our kids.”
To mark the new awareness day, law enforcement officers, educators and community leaders gathered Friday at Bedford Hills Elementary School to highlight the importance of online safety and share resources with parents.
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Rep. John McGuire encouraged parents to stay actively involved in their children’s online lives.
“Parents need to be vigilant,” McGuire said. “You need to be aware of everything that your child is doing on social media. You need to be a friend on that social media until they’re 18 and graduate.”
Captain Stephen Anders, who leads the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said the threat facing children online continues to grow.
According to Anders, the task force received about 24,000 cyber tips related to crimes against children last year. Those investigations led to the arrests of about 350 offenders, while approximately 250 children were identified and rescued.
The statistics underscore the need for parents and caregivers to have regular conversations with children about online safety and to monitor their digital activity, officials said.
“If they have access to the internet, they’re going to be exposed,” Anders said. “They’re at risk of being contacted and exploited.”
Officials hope the annual awareness day will encourage more families to learn about online threats and take steps to better protect children in an increasingly connected world.
