Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is encouraging families to do their homework when it comes to keeping students safe while using the internet this summer.
“Parents are the best defense in keeping their children safer online,” said Child Exploitation Investigations Unit (CEIU) chief Erin Burke in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release. “Parents should have regular conversations with their children about practicing online safety, how to recognize potential hazards and to encourage their children to share if someone makes them feel uncomfortable online.”
With summer typically being the season when many youngsters spend more time on the internet, ICE officials are reminding parents that Project iGuardian can aid them in making sure young people stay safe, as increased online activity can often translate into putting children at greater risk of encountering cyber predators schooled in exploiting their vulnerabilities.
“It is important for parents to know that online exploitation comes in many forms, and stopping exploitation often requires the victim to come forward to someone they trust, typically a parent, teacher, or trusted adult, or sometimes law enforcement,” Burke added.
As an outreach of shared information about the dangers of online environments, Project iGuardian centers on keeping children and teens safer from online predators through education and awareness. Parents and guardians also can help educate and protect children online by taking such measures as reviewing and approving games and apps before they are downloaded, making sure privacy settings are set to the strictest level possible for online gaming systems and electronic devices and checking a children's profiles and what they post online.
In fiscal year 2021, the number of children rescued and/or identified from instances of child exploitation jumped to 1,177 from 1,012 the year before. Over that time, HSI also uncovered increases in the number of case-initiated indictments and convictions.
For nearly a decade, HSI has also rescued and/or identified upward of 6,500 child victims by making use of initiatives like Project iGuardian.
