The Children's Safety Center of Washington County is offering safety tips as more parents express concern about their children's safety on social media.The center's director of operations says it's easier for children to become victims of online abuse because most cases occur in one-on-one settings."Eight out of 10 sexual abuse cases happen in an isolated one-on-one situation. So, how can we limit those?" said director of operations Casey Atwoods.A 2022 study by the Pew Research Center found that explicit content on social media is a main concern for parents of teenagers. It can occur through direct messages, text messages, or even public timelines. Atwoods urges parents to monitor their children's social media use and address any red flags."We shouldn't be afraid as parents to call out something we think is inappropriate. Sometimes, we don't want to accuse anyone, so we stay silent. Even if something was innocent and not intended to be inappropriate, the person needs to know that it came across that way," Atwoods said.Atwoods suggests having open conversations with children to build trust. She says it's also important to be reassuring during these discussions."If you're having ongoing conversations with your kids, it becomes more comfortable for them to come to you. We need to stress that nothing is too big to change our love for them or our ability to support them through whatever they're going through," Atwoods said.Another tip for limiting social media use is setting children's social media accounts to private, so only selected individuals can view or interact with them.

The Children's Safety Center of Washington County is offering safety tips as more parents express concern about their children's safety on social media.

The center's director of operations says it's easier for children to become victims of online abuse because most cases occur in one-on-one settings.

"Eight out of 10 sexual abuse cases happen in an isolated one-on-one situation. So, how can we limit those?" said director of operations Casey Atwoods.

A 2022 study by the Pew Research Center found that explicit content on social media is a main concern for parents of teenagers. It can occur through direct messages, text messages, or even public timelines. Atwoods urges parents to monitor their children's social media use and address any red flags.

"We shouldn't be afraid as parents to call out something we think is inappropriate. Sometimes, we don't want to accuse anyone, so we stay silent. Even if something was innocent and not intended to be inappropriate, the person needs to know that it came across that way," Atwoods said.

Atwoods suggests having open conversations with children to build trust. She says it's also important to be reassuring during these discussions.

"If you're having ongoing conversations with your kids, it becomes more comfortable for them to come to you. We need to stress that nothing is too big to change our love for them or our ability to support them through whatever they're going through," Atwoods said.

Another tip for limiting social media use is setting children's social media accounts to private, so only selected individuals can view or interact with them.