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May 05, 2020

Keep Your Kids Safe from Child Abuse with Geofencing



According to the latest statistics revealed by the Children’s Bureau,  at least 678,000 children in the US were abused in 2018. This figure represents a scary 9.2 in every 1,000 children in the country. Out of these children, approximately 7% were sexually abused and almost 11% were abused physically. As a result of child abuse or neglect, almost 1800 American children lost their lives in 2018. More than half of these child abuse charges and reports came from police officers, lawyers, teachers, social workers, and other professionals who came in contact with the child.    



It is often said that the advent of the internet has made child abuse extremely easy for offenders. However, it is important to remember that technology is as good or bad as we make it. There are a number of technology tools that hold immense potential towards preventing child abuse. Geofencing is one such technological innovation that can be particularly helpful in this regard.

What is Geofencing

Almost all of us are nowadays aware of Global Positioning System (GPS) and its applications. These are systems that utilize ground stations, receivers, and satellites to pinpoint the exact position of an individual or object on the earth’s surface. This technology is used frequently in virtual maps for the purpose of finding out the exact location of different places. I am sure many of you have already used GPS in your smartphones, cars, and other devices to look up where a friend is or for navigating the streets.

In order to understand the concept of geofencing, we just need to expand the idea of GPS by pinpointing a location and creating a virtual geographical boundary around the same. It is possible to create invisible boundaries or fences in a place using devices that have software equipped with RFID and GPS capabilities. Once you create a geofence, it can be seen in your device as a virtual fence. The geofence operator receives alerts whenever an individual or object enters or exits the virtual boundaries of the geofence, provided these objects or people carry a monitoring device. Tablets and smartphones have excellent compatibility with geofencing technology.

Geofencing is an extremely smart technology with numerous useful applications. From sending sales promotions to herding cattle, commercial use of geofencing is rapidly gaining ground around the world. One of the latest applications of this technology is its use as a valuable parental tech tool to keep track of the whereabouts of children.

Geofencing and Child Safety:

When it comes to using technology, it is always better to be one step ahead of your kids. Lets us now figure out how geofencing can help us secure our kids by setting up virtual perimeters for them.

  • Marking safe zones like home and school: Parents can track their kids using their laptops, tablets, and mobile phones by setting up virtual boundaries around their school. At all times, this will give them a clear idea about the location of their kids. Also, alerts will be triggered whenever the child moves beyond the designated school limits.
  • No-Safe Zone Alerts: As a parent, if you are not comfortable about your kid visiting a friend in the neighborhood, you may consider using geofencing apps capable of triggering an alarm to inform you about them leaving your permissible boundaries. Kids are often lured by unsavory adults or other kids into dangerous friendships. With a geofencing app, you will always be aware, if a certain geofenced place or location is breached by your child.
  • Keeping Track of Driving Teens: If your kid has already started driving, it is a smart move to set up geofencing for your car. As soon as the car reaches a geofenced “off-limits” area or leaves its authorized zone, geofencing alerts will be triggered instantly.     

        



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