Stranger Danger: Texas Detective Warns Parents of Online Gaming Threats

Recent threats have caused parents to become more concerned with potential predators their children are playing with in online games.

Online Safety First

A detective from the North Texas task force for Internet Crimes Against Children, Derek Smith (if that really IS his name...), told Everything Lubbock that internet crimes are a growing threat for children encountering online predators.

Smith stated that it's a "growing trend" in today's online world for crimes varying in intensity to be prevalent in the online realm, especially as more and more children are exposed to cell phones and the internet.

Gaming Stats

Online games are some of the most popular in the world. In fact, the Academy of Animated Art says that, of the 3.2 billion video gamers in the world, over 1.1 billion play online. They also include that the pandemic played a pivotal role in the migration to online gaming.

According to the site, reasons for gaming online are to relieve stress, play with friends, or even just to connect with and meet other people with similar interests.

How to Stay Safe Online

This, Detective Smith says, is precisely why parents must enforce in their children the 'stranger danger' mentality. Just because you may have some interests in common does not change the fact that they are total strangers that you met online.

Smith concluded with ways to ensure your children's safety. He advises that all digital devices such as phones and computers be kept in public areas of the house. Bedrooms and bathrooms are a no-no for Detective Smith.

If you are concerned about your child's online behavior or the behavior of someone they play games with, please do not hesitate to save any evidence of inappropriate or intrusive messages. These can be given to law enforcement if you feel a line has been crossed with regard to your child's safety.