In a digital age, it can become increasingly difficult for parents to monitor their children’s activities, but the Haines City Police Department and Polk County Sheriff’s Office are on the counterattack, providing parents and guardians with the information they need.

The two entities will team up to present a “Parenting in a Social Media Era” workshop. The workshop is open to the public and takes place at the Lake Eva Event Center, 799 Johns Ave., on Jan. 12 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

The information provided will help parents stay proactive by giving them the tools for monitoring their children’s devices. Law enforcement presenters will give an overview of different social media applications and show how each can be used maliciously.

Parents will also learn ways to find information and files that may be hidden by the child on their devices as well as early warning signs of abuse. In 2020, the Haines City Police Department worked nearly 200 cases of sexual and physical abuse against children. Detectives are seeing a similar trend this year.

“With the number of investigations into sexual and physical abuse of minors that we’ve seen in recent years, social media and electronic devices are often at the root of the issue,” Police Chief Jim Elensky said. “Parents will be given vital information from detectives who have worked serious cases and they’ll learn what they can do to protect their children.”