Millions of children log into their favorite online gaming platforms each day to battle it out with their friends, creating worlds where their imaginations can run wild. They are there to have fun. Not every ‘friend’ is real, however, and not every player is there to have fun. Sexual predators are often online with those children, and parents need to pay attention to what’s happening.
Sweeney wants parents to understand the FBI’s message with this campaign isn’t to keep your children off online games. “As much as we want to shield our children from every evil in the world, that’s not a practical way to live,” he said. “Children are going to play these online games, and that’s okay. But we can set parameters, we can learn the security settings on our devices, and we can talk with our children, or find someone for them to talk to.”
If you believe your child may be a victim, or if you know someone who is, please reach out to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.
FBI -> Read the post and watch a video highlighting how grooming can happen.
