photo from VCSC

The Vincennes Community School Corporation Police Department held a public presentation Thursday focused on internet safety and the risks children may face online.

The event took place at Lincoln High School’s Ader Auditorium. VCSC Police Chief Aaron Luce spoke to parents and guardians about how often young people are connected to the internet and why families need to stay involved in monitoring their children’s devices.

Luce told the audience many children spend several hours online each day outside of schoolwork, and some report being connected almost constantly. He said online games, social media platforms and messaging apps can allow strangers to contact children.

The presentation also covered warning signs parents may notice on phones or other devices. Luce encouraged families to regularly check apps, messages and online activity.

Luce said technology tools such as filters and parental controls can help, but he said direct monitoring by parents is still important.

“Nothing beats human detection and nothing beats human monitoring,” Luce said. “We can have all the filters, all the flags in the world, all the parental controls on the phone. However, kids know how to beat that, and so do predators and people looking to exploit our kids.”

Luce also encouraged parents to talk regularly with their children about internet safety and to contact law enforcement if they suspect online exploitation or other concerns.

The presentation was broadcast live on Facebook and the video remains available on the Vincennes Community School Corporation Facebook page.