In recognition of Safer Internet Day on February 11, Attorney General Kwame Raoul has urged families, educators, and professionals working with children to plan online safety education programs. He emphasized the importance of sharing best practices for developing effective educational initiatives.
“Safer Internet Day is an opportunity for parents, educators and caregivers to help children and teens be more aware of their online activity and develop responsible online habits. On Safer Internet Day and every day, families and educators should teach and empower children to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. My office has developed best practices that can help when developing effective education programs,” Raoul said. “I am committed to protecting children from online predators and am proud of the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force’s work to protect children and provide online safety education.”
Raoul recommended several best practices for creating online safety education programs. These include following a victim-centered approach where victims are encouraged to seek support without feeling blamed or shamed; assessing the effectiveness of prevention programs through feedback mechanisms; minimizing fear-based messages in favor of realistic examples; discussing online risks accurately with developmentally appropriate content; focusing on behavioral goals by preparing youth for potential harmful situations; encouraging a multipronged approach involving collaboration with stakeholders; planning collaboratively with schools or agencies for staff internet safety training; including skill-building information in presentations; providing internet safety education to parents alongside youth presentations; and offering additional resources related to internet safety.
For more detailed guidance on planning educational programs, Raoul advised adults and educators to visit the Attorney General's website.
Raoul's office operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. The task force investigates child exploitation crimes while training law enforcement agencies across Illinois. It receives CyberTips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children regarding child sexual abuse material. Reports have been increasing steadily over recent years, with an 11% rise noted in 2024 compared to 2023.
The Illinois ICAC Task Force is part of a national network comprising over 200 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across 61 task forces nationwide. Since its inception in 2006, it has been involved in more than 2,300 arrests related to sexual predators. In 2024 alone, it rescued over 45 child victims from ongoing abuse while providing extensive internet safety training sessions reaching tens of thousands among parents teachers students law enforcement professionals
Attorney General Raoul reminds citizens that incidents involving child sexual exploitation can be reported at cybertipline.com while cases concerning child abuse may be filed via dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.Illinois.gov Additionally local advocacy centers are accessible through childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org