Do you know what your child is doing online? 10 tips for parents to look out for during Human Trafficking Prevention Month

HONOLULU (KHON2) — January is observed as Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Ho’ōla Nā Pua has released virtual safety tips for parents to be on the look out for when their child is online.

Ho’ōla Nā Pua’s (New Life for Our Children) mission is to shine light onto the dark criminal enterprise of sex trafficking, placing the health of Hawaii’s youth at the center of their mission and vision for the community. 

They said they are committed to the prevention of child sex trafficking and providing care for children who have been exploited. 

According to Ho’ōla Nā Pua they offer integrated programming that reaches thousands of youths, community members and stakeholders across the state of Hawaii annually.

They have also created a list of virtual safety tips for parents to implement immediately. 

1. Check with your children to see if their social media and online accounts are private. 
2. Do they own a cell phone not provided by you, the parents/guardians? 
3. Make sure you know what your children are doing online and check on them if they are in their rooms for long interrupted periods of time. 
4. Remind children to never give out full name, address, phone number, school names etc. to people you meet on the internet. 
5. Talk to your kids about what is appropriate to post online and what is not. Even one image can stay on the internet forever, so make sure they understand the consequences of an inappropriate post or photo. 
6. Ask your children about the websites, group chats they visit and any new friends they’ve made. Encourage caution when talking to new people online. Unfortunately, sometimes an online personality can be a fake profile created by someone who turns out to not be safe to chat or meet alone. 
7. Monitor App downloads.
8. Sync your devices or check on the websites yourself or ask them to show you.
9. When your children leave the house, check on who they are with. Are they spending time with friends that are significantly older adults? 
10. Create a safe place for your children to tell you when something is wrong.

For more useful tips or to find more information about Ho’ōla Nā Pua click right here.