SPS Child Welfare: Learn How to Protect Kids Against Social Media Dangers
As social workers working with children and youth, we have very likely worked with a minor who is using social media and who has access to the internet. Whether it’s used to stay connected with friends, do homework, or check out the latest video games, music and other trends, social media is here to stay, says Holly Priebe Sotelo, DPPD, MSW, PPSC, associate professor at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
As adults working in child welfare, we must remain vigilant about the latest fads affecting the safety of children, including their mental health, and the resources available to support them, Sotelo says in the latest SPS Section Connection newsletter for Child Welfare.
“As a school social worker and parent, I learned firsthand about the harsh realities of how cyberbullying, sextortion and other forms of virtual harassment can affect minors and their families,” she states.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Social Media and Youth Mental Health Advisory report (2023), virtually all teens (95 percent) between the ages of 13 and 17 use social media, with more than one in three reporting that they use it “almost constantly.”
Know2Protect is the first national public awareness campaign to bring together federal and state government, local law enforcement, private sectors, and nonprofits to focus on education and prevention of online child sexual exploitation and abuse, Sotelo points out.
“As social workers, you are uniquely positioned to support children, youth, and their families with resources,” she writes. Among the resources for learning more about how to prevent and intervene in online child exploitation, she suggests these sites for learning about the dangers and threats of social media: