Has your child received an expensive gift in the mail, like a webcam, a cell phone with a camera in it, or a trip? These gifts and devices are often for the purpose of encouraging teens to take, produce, and transmit sexually explicit images of themselves.
Cyberbullying, especially via mobile phones is a growing and disturbing trend. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center (CRC), over 80% of teens use a cell phone regularly. Among those teens it also seems that preteen girls (tweens) between the ages of 12-15 years old, are the biggest victims of this type of bullying and harassment.
The CRC has a helpful list of suggestions for parents who want to reduce cyberbullying statistics.
For more information, you can also watch this important video from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and NetSmartz.org to learn how online predators manipulate and "groom" children and how to protect your child from victimization.