Behind the Badge
Do you know who your child’s Facebook friends are? Do you inspect their social media accounts? Here’s a story that will make you think twice.
I have a friend at work who is assigned to the safe schools detail and she told me a story I had to share.
The officer contacted a 17-year-old girl at one of our high schools one day. The girl told the officer she had received a “friend request” on Facebook from a stranger, who was also 17.
Even though she didn’t know the guy, she accepted his friend request. After becoming “friends” they started messaging each other through Facebook.
At one point, he asked the girl to take a picture and send it to him. She did and sent him the photo. Their conversation continued as he gave her compliments about how good looking she was.
The guy then asked her to take a topless picture and send it to him. She took the selfie and sent the photo.
He complimented her some more and then asked that she take a picture below the waist. She took it and sent the pic.
Then something happened she never thought could happen.
The pictures got out. Worst of all, the picture got out with her name and face.
The guy really was 17 and in high school. He had a girlfriend who found the pictures, and she posted them to her Facebook page for all to see.
That private message and picture weren’t so private anymore.
When the officer was taking the report, the girl said she liked the attention the male gave her. Wow.
That was all it took to get this girl to send naked pictures of herself to a stranger. Attention.
How many other kids are doing this? What other apps or social media sites are your kids being exploited on without you or them knowing?
Take the time to talk with your kids. Make sure they don’t end up like this one girl, who showed a little more than she wanted on Facebook.
There’s no “LIKE” button for that.
