Ridge Meadows RCMP have started the conversation about safety online.
But they want parents at home to continue that conversation with their kids.
Police have been talking to kids in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows schools about the basics of safety on the internet and repeated the message on their own Facebook page with a link to the RCMP’s Online Safety page.
That page advises parents to communicate with kids about being safe online, and to ensure computers are in accessible areas and that kids know that anything they post can be made public.
Kids are also told that online harassment and ‘sexting’ (sending explicit messages, images or videos) is a serious offence and can result in criminal charges.
Police advise, not to talk about sex online or share images you wouldn’t want the world to see.
The page says: “Think Before you Share: It’s difficult to remove information once it’s shared. Even though a smartphone app may advertise what you send will ‘disappear’ in a few seconds, you can still take screen captures of that photo making it last forever.”