Is Your Teen at Risk?

To aid parents who feel clueless about what their teens are doing online, the O.C. Sheriff’s Department, as part of the Is Your Teen at Risk? program, presented "Teen Bully/Dating Violence and Teens and Technology" on Monday night at the Aliso Niguel High School Theatre.

Parents were told how to spot signs of bullying, were taught intervention techniques, and learned how to monitor their children's online activities.

Vianey Castro of the Orange County Family Protection Unit said warning signs that a child is in an abusive relationship—which can include physical violence, verbal abuse and sexual acts—are withdrawing from normal activities, absences from school and wearing concealed clothing.

A "power control wheel," which can be found on any Internet search engine, can help parents determine if a child is being abused.

Parents were told they should listen to what their children have to say and not downplay a claim of abuse.  If a parent discovers that the child is in an abusive relationship, the parent can file a restraining order with the court, Castro said.

A way to prevent their children from getting into abusive relationships is to  play an active role in their lives and monitor their online activities, said Castro.

Deputy Quyen Voung, Mission High School’s resource officer, educated parents on the harmful information that is online.

“The Internet is always changing. Blink for one second and there is something new,” Voung said.  “We need to be one step ahead.”

Voung's statistics show that the average high school student has 1,200 Facebook friends but personally knows only 200 of them. Teens are using risky Internet sites such as Chatroulette, Formspring and anonymous chat rooms to communicate with strangers on the Web, Voung said.

With texting becoming a new outlet for teens to flirt, the act of “sexting”—sending nude pictures—is on the rise. “Two out of every 10 cell phones have naked pictures of themselves or another student on their phone,” Voung said.

Parents can fight back against these online hazards by setting Internet security on computers. By setting the Google search default to “safe,” parents can block risqué images from appearing on search results. Also, by simply checking their teens' phones after school, parents can see what they've been sending. Also, online monitoring software can be installed on a child’s computer. Programs such as Spector Pro and eBlaster can monitor everything from Facebook conversation to online searches.

 If you feel that your child is being abused or has been put at risk by an online predator, call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at 714.288.6742.