Stay up to date on our latest news, including highlights from Children’s Advocacy Centers that are helping create safer communities all across the Keystone State. We send quarterly online newsletters and short news-blast emails to keep you informed on important legislation, outreach events, and abuse prevention.
Our kids and teens are spending more and more time in a place where they are increasingly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation—the internet.
69%
U.S. children who have their own smartphone by age 12.
8 in 10
parents who say their kids regularly watch videos on YouTube.
40%
children in grades 4-8 who say they have chatted with a stranger online.
over 29.3 million
reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation in 2021 alone.
Here are three simple things you can do right now to help keep your kids safe online.
Teach them PII
Make sure kids know their Personal Identifying Information (PII) is never okay to share online. On the no-share list: full name, address, phone number, school name, and school address.
Get online yourself
Make sure you know about all of your child’s social media accounts, and like/follow them. Follow their friends, like their posts, and stay current on the hashtags, sounds, and trends they use.
Make it official
Download our Family Internet Safety Plan to share with your kids. Once questions are answered and everyone has signed, post it somewhere visible to remind kids of your internet terms of engagement.
Not sure your family needs an Internet Safety Plan? Read one mom’s story of the difference it’s making for her peace of mind, her child, and their relationship.
Our friends at Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance have developed a Family Digital Wellness Toolkit that you may download for free on their website.
About PennCAC
We’re here to stop child abuse and make sure every child, every childhood, and every future is protected. We do that by supporting a robust network of Children’s Advocacy Centers across the state, providing training for teams of professionals who respond to child abuse, educating our communities, and advocating for better policy…all to make sure that every child in Pennsylvania has a chance at their best tomorrow.