CASA volunteers take part in new child safety training

SHAWNEE, Kan. — The Department of Homeland Security partners with CASA of Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

CASA volunteers and employees participated in the Department of Homeland Security Investigations Know2Protect training.

Know2Protect, led by HSI, is a national public awareness campaign to prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse(CSEA).

HSI shared new resources with CASA employees, volunteers, caregivers, and other trusted adults who work with kids and teens.

Homeland Security officials say now is a good time to start having conversations with children about the risks they face online and best practices.

“We’ve had 36 million tips this past year, and that’s working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement, “and we just can’t do it alone,” said Homeland Security Investigations KC Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. “Every year, it’s increasing by the millions. We need the families and communities to get involved.”

CASA provides resources and support for children in foster care, which is why the President & CEO of CASA’s Wyandotte & Johnson County branch, Natalie Julien, wanted to provide online safety training for employees and volunteers.

“So this partnership with the Department of Homeland Security provided training about online exploitation and making sure that our advocates who are trusted adults in our kids’ lives understand the things that they need to watch out for to keep our kids safe,” Julien explained.

Homeland Security officials say having ongoing conversations with children about online safety and how to report abuse is critical.

“We would love for families and guardians to get more involved and be involved with their children, know what they’re doing, and look at the settings on their phones,” Zito said. “The children think they’re talking to another kid (online), maybe even from another country, but it’s not. It’s an older guy or an older female, and there’s alternative means that they’re going after.”

Know2Protect’s in-person educational arm is focused on keeping children and teens safe from online predators through education and awareness. Following the 2-hour Project iGuardian training session, participants will be better equipped to understand online CSEA risks better, have the necessary resources to help children and teens stay safe from online predators and know how to report abuse and suspicious activity.

These Know2Protect resources are part of a new Back2School campaign connecting with teaching groups, educational associations, youth-serving organizations, and other partners, like CASA, who can reach kids in schools during the academic year.

Here are online safety tips for children from the Department of Homeland Security:

Have the Talk

It’s never too early to start talking to children and teens about the risks they face online and continue talking about them at every age. Like teaching a child how to safely cross the street, continuous discussions and reminders are critical to safe online habits.

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For younger children:

• Teach them not to click on pop-ups.
• Explain that they should never share passwords, addresses, or personal information with people they don’t know online.
• Create a series of steps they should follow if they see inappropriate content, such as looking away and telling a parent or trusted adult.
• Warn them not to trust people they meet online and tell them they should tell a trusted adult if someone makes them feel nervous, scared, or uncomfortable.
• Teach online etiquette and how to be respectful of others, and let them know they should tell someone if they feel disrespected.
• Help them identify a trusted adult or guardian they can go to for help.

For tweens and teens:

• Talk about how they should never post personal information or inappropriate content.
• Discuss sexting and the permanency of online data.
• Teach them how to avoid online predators by setting up privacy controls on their devices, like restricting apps’ location access.
• Explain the warning signs that characterize online predators.
• Tell them that safe adults won’t ask them to keep secrets or disrespect their boundaries.
• Help them identify a trusted adult or guardian they can go to for help.
• Discuss steps they can take if a friend confides in them about inappropriate online interactions, such as telling a trusted adult or pointing them to Know2Protect resources.
• Explain that minors shouldn’t disseminate sexual abuse material because it’s illegal.
• Explain that even if they’ve already shared sexual abuse material or been involved in inappropriate online interactions, it’s not too late to tell an adult and get help.
• Discuss cyberbullying.

To submit a report, you can do so through one of the following ways:

• Contact your local, state, or tribal law enforcement officials directly. Call 911 in an emergency.
• Call the Know2Protect Tipline at 833-591-KNOW (5669). All information received via the Tipline will be reviewed by appropriate personnel and referred to Homeland Security Investigations field offices for potential investigation.
• Submit a CyberTipline report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

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