Michigan State Police Warn Parents On Posting Back To School Pics

Michigan State Police are once again cautioning parents about sharing back-to-school pictures on social media.

A recent Michigan State Police social media post is advising parents not to include the following information when posting first-day-of-school photos,

• Names
• Teacher Names
• Name of school and its location
• Grade of child
• Age of child

The information above has the potential to be used by predators to manipulate children into going with them.

According to Boys Town Pediatrics, these are key points to cover when talking to your children about strangers,

• Never allow someone you do not know into the house.
• Do not take anything (food, candy, etc.) from someone you do not know
• Never get into a vehicle with a stranger
• If you ever feel uncomfortable around someone you don't know, run, yell, and seek help from a trusted adult.

Another effective strategy is to establish a family safe word. When I was 8 years old, I was approached by a man in a car claiming to need directions. The man said it was okay for me to get in the car and help him find a specific house in the neighborhood.

I was smart enough to know something was off, and I did ask him if he knew my family's safe word. The creep took off fast after that.

I have not thought about that moment in years, but boy it certainly freaks me out to think about what could have happened to me if my parents had not talked to me about strangers.