Every day, it seems there are new apps or websites to help us connect. For parents however, it means one more way for predators to reach kids online or through social media.
"I think as a parent you need to protect your kids, and I thought I had," said one father from Winnebago County.
This dad asked that we not reveal his identity because of the sensitive situation he and his family experienced. However, he wants to share his story to warn other parents.
It happened last winter in Winneconne, when he noticed his middle-school aged son was acting different than normal.
"I thought he wasn't feeling well and went in there and asked him what was wrong and he didn't say anything, just was very quiet," he said.
That's when he picked up his son's phone and saw a number he didn't recognize. The texts were from a stranger his son had started talking to on chats in online and mobile games.
"The texts started out very subdued, hey what are you doing? Trying to friend him," the dad explained. "Then it turned into hey can you send me some pictures of yourself in bed without any clothes on."
He was frustrated and disappointed, he said, especially because he always kept an eye on his son's online and social media habits. His son did not respond to any of the texts, but it made the dad realize that online predators can reach kids anywhere and in many ways, he said.
"It can happen in little towns like ours," he said.
That's something Deputy Pete Ehlert with the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office knows all too well.
"We just don't hear about it in L.A.or in Chicago or New York," Deputy Ehlert explained. "This is happening here in Winnebago County."
After giving school presentations about social media safety a few years ago, he and some other officers had an idea.
"We said why don't we start a coalition and get all law enforcement, all schools, as many school districts as we can from the county to come together," he said.
That idea would eventually become the Winnebago County Social Media Coalition, a group that educates parents and students about online safety.
"We want to create resources for the districts, for the parents, for the community to go to to learn more about some of the challenges that are happening through social media," said Deputy Ehlert.
Law enforcement, schools, and even the Assistant District Attorney for Winnebago County are a part of it.
"The traditional way that we handle a case is we get it from law enforcement, we look at it, we say what do we need to do with this, what does this deserve?" said Winnebago County ADA Eric Sparr. "In this type of situation, we're getting information from all over the place, and that's really helpful in figuring out a better outcome or something that's more likely to change the behavior that we want to change."
One way they aim to change that behavior is by teaching parents about different apps and websites their kids are using.
The coalition also talks to kids and teens, but realized their words weren't always working.
"Kids tend to listen to kids, rather than having the adults talk to them all the time," said Deputy Ehlert.
That's where Shaye Gauthier comes in. The Oshkosh North High School junior helped to make public service announcements for high school students in the county and has visited several schools to talk to students.
"When it's your own peer, you see yourselves as equals and not someone telling you what to do," Gauthier explained.
The PSAs cover everything from cyber-bullying, to child enticement, to sexting. That last one has become an issue for students.
"We're just trying to put an emphasis on, is this even necessary?" Gauthier said. "Do you feel like you have to send this to someone? Most of the time they know the answer is no."
Even with these groups working together, it's difficult to reach everyone, explained Deputy Ehlert.
"Some of the challenges have been how do we get the message out and how do we get that message to stay?" he said.
With all the uncertainty on the internet, they also can't catch every predator.
"There's really not a big chance of us finding who that was," said the father from Winneconne.
However, they all said they're hoping their work can make a difference to keep kids safe behind the screen.
To learn more about the Winnebago County Social Media Coalition and their resources for parents and students, you can visit them on Facebook or Twitter, or reach out to them via e-mail at winnebagocountysmc@gmail.com.
