Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office shares online-safety tips for children

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office shared a post offering reminders for parents and children about staying safe while gaming, chatting, watching videos and using social media online.

The post advised families to keep accounts private and be cautious about accepting friends or followers. It also urged children not to share personal information, including home addresses, school information, phone numbers, passwords or other personal details.

The sheriff’s office reminded parents that people online may not be who they claim to be. It encouraged children to tell a trusted adult if someone makes them uncomfortable, requests inappropriate pictures or pressures them to keep secrets.

Other recommendations included using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication when available and talking regularly about the apps, games, websites and people children encounter online. The post also warned that material posted or sent online may not be recoverable.

The post encouraged parents to maintain open conversations so children feel comfortable discussing online issues without fear of getting in trouble. It directed families seeking additional online-safety resources to download the office’s free app and select “Cyber Safety.”

Source: Original source announcement