RCMP in Alberta are once again impressing upon parents the importance of being aware of your children's online activities after allegations have surfaced on social media of a new, dangerous, online challenge.

Corporal Chris Warren explains the details of what RCMP have heard about the "48 Hour Challenge."

"This trend has surfaced online which includes encouraging youth to run away from home and then having a bit of a competition, for lack of a better word, as to how long they can stay missing and generate missing persons reports and shares and hits online."

Warren says that, fortunately, they haven't had any confirmed cases of this challenge happening in the province of Alberta but the RCMP are making this warning in hopes that it never does.

Warren knows that while some people feel doing this will encourage someone to try the 48 Hour Challenge, he says making everyone aware of the dangers always trumps those concerns.

"I don't think it outweighs the need for education to have people aware of what's out there and to allow people to know that every missing case that's reported to RCMP is treated seriously and investigated as such," explains Warren.  "It's best obviously to talk to your children about online safety and what's out there."

Warren says the best thing a parent can do is have an open dialogue with their kids about the potential dangers of social media and the internet.  "The best things is to talk about the internet and where some of the stuff comes from and to have an open line of communication with your children so they feel comfortable coming to you about anything that they may see or come across online, to discuss it with them."

Other tips the RCMP suggest include:

  • Set rules for what your kids can and can't do online
  • ·Teach your kids to check with you before downloading anything.
  • ·Set the expectation that you will monitor children’s use of devices.
  • ·Use parental controls.
  • ·Discuss what children are allowed to share online

Sgt. Raymond Tardif of the RCMP "K" Division Missing Persons Unit has far too much experience in dealing with missing persons.  He says, "We don't want youth putting themselves in danger to keep up with online trends.  We remind parents to be aware of their children's online activities and remind them that fake reports divert resources from legitimate emergencies and investigations."

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