Parents Be Vigilant About Protecting Children From Online Predators

Recently the ABC reported that a 16 year old Sydney girl was lured to the United States by a convicted 39 year old predator who allegedly groomed the girl on Snapchat.  An international police operation rescued the girl from the basement of the accused man’s home.

Unfortunately these are the times we live in and she was one of the lucky ones to get out alive.  Safety measures need not be taken lightly as this scenario is becoming a common occurrence posing grave danger to our kids.  We not only need to educate them, but also keep guard over their safety.

Parents have to be on top of their kid’s online activity by setting parental controls, keeping their kids passwords, regularly checking their social media activity, knowing who our kids are communicating with online and by limiting their time on devices and communication Technology. We can’t afford to turn a blind eye to what’s going on out in cyberspace.  There are multiple online communities with predators monitoring pages looking for their next victim. We can’t stop them from doing that but we can protect our kids by minimising their exposure and watching over them.

Be vigilant over their lives by not allowing technology to baby sit them which is same as leaving them at the mercy of the online world.  Not everyone cares about our kids as much as we do.

Proverbs 19:18  

“Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.”

Quite often girls are lured into sexting  by males coaxing them into sending nude images of themselves by making them believe that they’re in a loving relationship.  The sad truth is that these girls are looking for love, affection and acceptance. Instead, what really occurs is that the victims are tricked into another person’s fantasy.  Grooming by online predators is not limited to just girls. Here’s a list of the most frequently used apps.

1 Peter 5:8

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

The whole ordeal can be traumatising for parents whose children fall into the hands of online predators.  Counselling and family therapy can help.

Exercising parental authority over our kids a duty of love that can save their lives.

Sources

Wikipedia – Sexting

Bible  Hub – Bible Verses

ABC NEWS – Sydney Girl Lured To America…

Common Sense Media – Everything You Need To Know About Parental Controls

Where to Find Help

Talk to your doctor who can point you in the right direction.

Visit CCAA to search for a Christian counsellor near you.

Visit ACA to search for a counsellor near you.

Free 24/7 Counselling Services

Lifeline on 13 11 14

Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36

Headspace on 1800 650 890

Studying at aifc

Have you thought about counselling?   It’s a great opportunity to learn how you can extend God’s love and grace to the hurting out in the community.

For those who would like to enrol in aifc’s accredited Christian counselling courses we have two intakes per year for courses commencing around the following months:

At The beginning of each year in February.

Mid-Year courses commence in July.

Enrolments open approximately 3 months prior the courses commencing. Enquire now by filling out the form with your details to receive course information by email.

Note: A Masters course in Christian counselling will be introduced in 2018.

Contact aifc Monday to Friday from 9am – 5pm with your enquiries on 6242 5111 or toll free on 1300 721 397