Child Abuse Awareness Month in Monterey County

The Monterey County Child Abuse Prevention Council is taking the opportunity this Child Abuse Awareness Month to talk to children and parents about possible dangers kids can find online in the digital age. They released a new video called Behind the Screen: Dangers of the Digital Age, showing parents dangers to look out for, like cyberbullying, sharing sexual or inappropriate conduct, and convincing AI Chatbots.

Officials also pointed to false online advertisements that can lead to trafficking schemes, reminding parents and kids to stay vigilant. Alex Carrillo, a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council, says that it's more important than ever to be on the lookout for these threats, as a predator can get to you child through their devices.

The council also putting together multiple resources for parents to learn more about social media safety for their children, providing a glossary of common tech words that they may not know, how to identify online grooming or sexploitation, and even how to ensure that an email is not a phishing scam.

You can find that full video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP9uCd2_mQc and you can learn more about the Monterey County Child Abuse Prevention Council at capcmonterey.org.