How children hide contact with sexual predators

Just as law enforcement has had to change how it handles internet-related crimes due to technological advances, parents also have to do more to protect their children from online threats. Here are some of the sneaky ways teens their online activity from adults.

Multiple Media Accounts: Teens might willingly hand over a password or allow parents to "friend" them on one social media site while creating other, secret accounts with a fake name to stay connected with their peers.

Moving inappropriate conversations to a different platform: If you have access to your child’s text, Facebook or other media conversations, look for teens asking to move the conversation to a more private setting. A conversation that starts on Facebook might jump to Kik Messenger, an instant messaging app favored by teens that can delete conversation histories. Or they might go to a live-streaming format that won’t leave a track.

Code Words: Youth use words in social media conversation to signal that a parent has entered the room.

More: Kids interact with predators at home – via social media

POS                 Parent Over Shoulder

PIR                   Parent in Room

P911                Parent Alert

PAW                Parents are watching

PAL                 Parents are listening

ASL                 Age/Sex/Location

LMIRL              Let’s Meet In Real Life

KPC                 Keeping Parents Clueless

ADR or Addy   Address

WYCM             Will you call me?

Vault Apps: A mobile app designed to hide private pictures, videos, text messages and contacts in a phone. The most common one, according to law enforcement officials: an app looks like a normal calculator but hides photos and data. Teens enter a pass code to see the hidden files.

Inappropriate use of Apps: These apps contain video-streaming, photo sharing or messaging services that teens often use to inappropriately communicate with others. The presence of these apps does not necessarily mean teens are using them inappropriately.

Snapchat, Kik Messenger, Omegle, Chatroulette, Tinder, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Yik Yak, Whisper, What’s App, Ask.Fm, Meet Me, Musical.ly

Gaming Systems: Predators increasingly reach children through multi-player games on systems such as Xbox. If a game includes interactive features with other players, monitor the child’s use – even if the game or system is specifically designed for young players.

Empty inboxes: If you check your child’s email, photos, text messages or voicemails and everything has been deleted, then your child may have deleted inappropriate content. Teens also will selectively delete information.

Incorrectly named contacts: Teens often will assign code names to their contacts. "Jean from school" might be "Ted whom I am secretly dating.” If you don’t recognize a name in your teen’s contact list, then ask about it.

Check computer browsing history for inappropriate sites: Children sometimes join 18-and-older sites if they want to meet older partners. These sites often include inappropriate content for children.

More: How you can help