According to News Center Maine, our state is one of only five in the country that has very few laws to protect our children from threats online, such as cyber bullying and sexting.

A recent study from Safewise.com gave the state a 'D' rating.

That's right, Mainers have very little support to protect our kids from sexual predators online. So parents need to step up.

As much as we trust our kids, they are just kids, and might not take security as seriously as they should.

Giving out information like their birthday or where they live can put them at risk. A seemingly innocent question could be phishing.

Red flags:

  • your child is secluded and being secretive about their online communications
  • someone online is asking for your child to share personal information
  • they are being asked to send pictures
  • the person online asks to meet your child somewhere

There are apps that parents can download to monitor online activity, but it's also important to talk to children directly about the dangers of adding a stranger to their social media and what could happen if they share personal information like where they go to school, where they live and even their birthday with someone they don't know online.

 

More From 94.9 WHOM