TikTok and Snap Chat pose the most risk of exposing your children to sexual predators, according to one local SVU investigator. The two social media platforms most popular with school-aged children have privacy settings and a posting nature that allows predators to target your child easily.
Special Victims Unit investigator with the Lassen District Attorney’s Office Tara Avila says the tracking on the TikTok app is so sophisticated that the department has used the app to track suspects within 20 feet of their location. Avila added that many of the crimes investigated through her law enforcement career could have been prevented with simple measures taken by parents. Engaging in an open conversation with your child about how to be safe on social platforms is the most important. Avila suggests a few additional steps to protect your child: limiting personal information on your child’s profile, such as your child’s school name, grade, or graduating class, friending or following only people your child has met in real life, and making profiles private.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that 75% of teens aged 13 to 17 have at least one social media account and spend 9 hours a day online on average.
