The Horrifying Reason You MUST Monitor Your Teens on Social Media

The reason we know about so many strange men prowling school zones for young girls is the girls ran home and told a responsible adult. But there have been several scary crimes where the girls were hiding the truth and their parents had no idea.

In the last year several Tri-Cities men were prosecuted for engaging in or attempting sexual activity with underage girls.

They met these girls online and apparently offered them money, alcohol or drugs to meet up. While we'd all like to believe no one we'd know would be so dumb, the truth is these criminals usually contact these girls through a mutual acquaintance and then maintain a healthy distance for months while building trust.

A teen seeking attention, money or drugs may then be seduced by offers from these men. We can't safeguard all kids from making poor choices or building friendships with questionable people, but we can monitor their social media use. And if they carry it on in secret, remember they don't have to have their own phone or tablet. You are the parent.