On Thursday evening, Rockwall County District Attorney Kenda Culpepper and members of the Rockwall Police Department will hold a one-hour workshop on internet safety aimed at helping parents protect children online.
Culpepper says children online, even those as young as elementary school age, are at greater and greater risk of being targeted by bullies, criminals, and predators. And not just through their computers.
"Certainly we’re seeing across the nation an increase in children being affected by predators that are reaching out to them on different mechanisms – their phone, the internet, their gaming devices.," Culpepper says.
She says many parents simply don’t like to face the uncomfortable idea that their children might not be protected.
"Every child that uses a phone, uses the internet," she says, "even though they are well-protected within their own home, they are exposed to people being able to reach them through their computer and have a conversation with them."
“Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet” runs from 6 to 7 pm Thursday evening at Virginia Reinhardt Elementary School, located at 615 Highland Dr. in Rockwall.