February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and a group of frontline professionals say technology is taking this issue to a new level.
With the emergence of technology, teen dating violence has evolved in recent years. On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, Andrea Kocher, Director of Services at Willow Tree Missions in Piatt County, told Regional Radio there are still some fundamental ways teen dating violence plays itself out.
Dep. Lindsey Bross is a school resource officer with the Piatt County Sheriff's Department and indicates this is a very real issue among youth today. She explains the advancements in technology and more specifically, social media, make teens especially susceptible to this.
Kocher indicates this is becoming problematic in getting individuals help because of the control over the devices and accounts an abuser has.
Even more concerning for authorities is the fact AI (artificial intelligence) and other forms of material altering methods are making this issue even more concerning. Dep. Bross explains they see a lot of times where images are altered to humiliate a person.
Parents monitoring their kid's online activities is one of the keys to ensuring their safety. We'll hear more on that in the days ahead on Regional Radio.
