August 13, 2025 • 26 mins
The digital world has transformed how we celebrate our children's milestones, but are our back-to-school photo traditions putting kids at risk? This eye-opening conversation with Katia Gonzalez from Alliance for Children reveals the hidden dangers lurking behind those adorable first-day pictures shared across social media.
When we post photos featuring our children's full names, schools, teachers, and other personal details, we're creating a digital roadmap that potentially leads straight to them. While most parents focus on sharing these special moments with friends and family, they rarely consider who else might access this information or how it could be misused. Gonzalez explains that predators often use these details not for immediate physical threats but to build relationships with children online—"It's easier to do the more information that we know about a child."
What's particularly alarming is how tech-savvy today's children are from incredibly young ages. Even kindergartners navigate online spaces with surprising fluency, forming relationships and having conversations their parents or guardians might be completely unaware of. This digital generation gap means many adults simply don't understand the extent of their children's online activities or the associated risks.
Thankfully, there are simple ways to protect children while still celebrating these important milestones. Using only first names, ensuring social media profiles are private, being mindful of what's visible in photo backgrounds, and limiting identifiable details can significantly reduce risks while still allowing families to share special moments.
Alliance for Children has worked since 1992 to protect children in Tarrant County, offering valuable resources including digital safety education programs for children as young as kindergarten and training for adults who want to learn more about keeping kids safe online. Their most crucial advice resonates with powerful simplicity: "Not everybody is a person that we can trust."
Visit allianceforchildren.org to learn more about digital safety resources and discover how you can better protect the children in your life while navigating our increasingly connected world.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hondo (00:00):
This is Texas Together, the podcast celebrating the
people, missions and storiesthat bring Texas together.
It's actually episode one.
Back to School is happeninghere in North Texas and probably
all around the state this week.
Thousands upon thousands ofkiddos are going back to school.
My wife is celebrating, Katia,her 27th first day of teaching.
Katia Gonzalez (00:22):
How exciting is that.
Congrats to her.
Hondo (00:24):
And so I was playing around on the Book of Faces and
lo and behold, what do I seeRight in time for school, a post
from Alliance for Children,Tarrant County, about back to
school safety.
Now, and, by the way, say helloto my guest for the next 30
minutes or so Katia Gonzalez,how are you?
Katia Gonzalez (00:43):
I'm doing great.
Thank you so much for having me.
Hondo (00:46):
What intrigued me about this is when you think about all
these kids going back to school.
I know for a lot of familiesit's not even really a tradition
, it's more like a rite ofpassage right, you take that
first day of school photo.
I saw this post on Facebookfrom Alliance for Children,
tarrant County's Facebook page.
(01:06):
You ought to follow them there.
It was very simple what not topost on your child's first day
of school?
And I thought, huh, when I wasa kid I'm sure I'm older than
you are, Katia, but when I was akid, first day of school
pictures got put on therefrigerator and maybe sent to
grandma and that was about it.
Katia Gonzalez (01:27):
Or in the newsletter or something like
that.
Hondo (01:29):
Yeah, exactly Right.
I remember those days and thatwas it.
You didn't have to worry aboutanything else.
Well, there was one exception,I guess if you gave your school
picture to your girlfriend Sally, you you occasionally had to
worry about Sally ripping it upwhen she broke up with you.
(01:49):
But that's not a conversationfor today.
That's a bad experience I don'twant to talk about.
Katia Gonzalez (01:56):
Okay, I can tell you have a story to that.
Hondo (01:58):
Yeah, we're not going to go there, Katia, so tell
everybody about you, what you doat Alliance for Children?
Katia Gonzalez (02:04):
Yeah, so I'm the Director of Training and Team
Relations at Alliance forChildren, and we do a lot of
really great things, but one ofthe departments that I oversee
is our education department.
So we go to schools and we talkto kids about how to stay safe,
and one of the ways, one of thelessons that we have, is about
digital safety or internetsafety, and then we also talk to
(02:25):
adults about ways.
If we're telling children howto stay safe and report to
trusted adults if somebody ishurting them, then we also want
to make sure that the adults intheir lives are also properly
trained in how to protect themand how to take action if needed
.
Hondo (02:39):
So, going back to this post that y'all did, now this is
an audio podcast, so we'regoing to try to make this uh
kind of paint a picture of youwill.
There's a kiddo holding a signthat is very familiar in
households all across not justNorth Texas but really America
with hey.
My name is Jaylynn Garcia, I'min fourth grade, I am nine years
(03:03):
old, my school is AllianceElementary, my teacher is Mrs
Evans, and when I grow up, Iwant to be a veterinarian.
And that picture is subtitledwith what not to post on your
child's first day of school, andit's got various little things
leading to that picture of herholding up this wonderful little
(03:24):
sign that you should not post.
And again, there's a lot ofthings that especially parents
that are my age are not thinkingabout.
Right, because they're notthinking about digital safety,
social media safety, because wedidn't grow up in that era,
citing Taylor Swift.
We weren't in that era.
So let's start with a full name.
(03:46):
Why is it that you don't wantto post your child's full name
on their back to school photo?
What's wrong?
What's the harm in putting justhey, my name is Hondo Robertson
.
Katia Gonzalez (03:59):
Sure, well, we teach children about not posting
about personal informationabout themselves because that
could get in a variety ofdangers.
So we also want to make sure,like well, we're teaching
children that let's make surethat the adults in their lives
are following by example withthat as well.
So, and there's a variety ofjust risky situations that can
happen when we post too muchpersonal information.
So if you're posting that onInstagram or Facebook, we don't
(04:23):
know if those profiles areprivate.
So there could be just randompeople that are viewing your
child's information knowingtheir names, like their full
name, so first or last name.
So it's a lot of access to achild just knowing that, and
then I think we'll talk throughabout some of the dangers with
that.
So it's not necessarily justknowing their name, but they're
knowing their name plus a myriadof all other information about
(04:46):
them.
Hondo (04:48):
And again from Alliance for Children's standpoint, and
rightfully so.
You all are concerned mostlywith the perpetrators who would
want to do harm to these kiddos,right, yes, that is our mission
, yes, and when we make thoseposts, we're thinking of like,
we're posting this for ourfriends and family to see and to
celebrate with us.
I don't think that most adultsare posting that information
(05:11):
thinking of other pick right,and they do it for every year
typically Um, but especially ayoungster, like my wife's first
grade school teacher.
(05:31):
Those kids are six, seven yearsold, sometimes five years old,
six years old.
Parents aren't thinking about,uh, any of that other stuff
other than, oh my gosh, mybaby's growing up right.
This is their kindergarten.
They're going into kindergarten, they're going into the first
grade, now they're going intosecond, or whatever the case
(05:52):
might be, they want to celebratethose milestones.
So, going to the second picture, what are some safe ways that
parents can share those back toschool moments without
compromising a child's safety?
Katia Gonzalez (06:08):
Yeah, well, I would say that limiting as much
of that personal information aswe can would be really
beneficial.
And then also paying attentionto where we're posting that
information.
So making sure that if you'reposting on Facebook or Instagram
or Snapchat, that only peoplethat you want to see your
child's picture have access tothat.
So making sure that if you'reposting on Facebook or Instagram
or Snapchat, that only peoplethat you want to see your
child's picture have access tothat, so making sure that all of
(06:30):
your profiles are set toprivate, is really important.
But then it's also thinkingthrough of like, ok, I'm posting
my child's name, so nowsomebody that might have access
to that will know their name.
They'll know the school that wego to If we're posting where at
school they go to.
Most of us have schools that arereally close to where we live,
so now this person knows, like,the proximity of where that
(06:52):
person might live.
And then most of those picturesthat I've seen like I know I'm
similar to you to where I'msifting through my social media
and I've seen all these adorablepictures, but most of them are
in front of their house, right,so, kind of depending, some of
them might be like right infront of their door, but some of
them are like really wide whereyou can see the entire house,
and if somebody is reallywanting to get information, they
(07:14):
can likely figure out if theyhave a school name of the street
or something like that thatmight be in the background.
So all of those things are justproviding a lot of information.
No-transcript profiles.
(07:58):
And all of that to say I want topoint out is most of the time
abuse doesn't happen withstrangers.
It usually happens withsomebody that child already
knows and trusts.
So I want to point out is, mostof the time abuse doesn't
happen with strangers, itusually happens with somebody
that child already knows andtrusts.
So I want to point that out.
But it doesn't mean that weshouldn't protect them from
other situations as well.
We're talking about digitalsafety.
So you're right, for yearswe're saying like statistically
it used to actually be like 95,98% when we looked at numbers
(08:20):
with somebody that that childknew and trust and over the
years we're seeing that kind oflike dwindling down to like in
the 90%, to somebody that thatchild like knows within their
circle, like somebody that theyknow in person and real life.
But what we're seeing more andmore is that I don't want to say
stranger situation.
It's still somebody that thatchild develops a relationship
(08:42):
with, but we're seeing more andmore of that relationship
building happening online withwhat like essentially strangers,
not somebody that's in thatchild's normal circle, but
they're meeting people online.
They're developing arelationship with them and a lot
of that can be through sharingof that information and
developing that kind of rapportwith the child, and that's
(09:02):
easier to do when you know moreabout them, and then dangerous
situations can happen from them.
So that's easier to do when youknow more about them and then
dangerous situations can happenfrom them.
So that's what we're trying toavoid is that the less
information, the less accesspeople have to our kids online,
the safer that is for them yeah,hanging out with katia gonzalez
, who is with alliance forchildren.
Hondo (09:21):
Tell everybody your fancy title again, because it's
longer than mine.
Mine's just goofball
Katia Gonzalez (09:30):
Oh goodness.
It's not super fancy, but it'sDirector of Training and Team
Relations.
Yes, director of Training andTeam Relations.
Alliance for Children.
Alliance for Children Telleverybody your website.
I've got it right here.
It's been a little bitAllianceforchildrenorg Super
easy.
Hondo (09:46):
Allianceforchildrenorg is the website where you can get
all kinds of information.
And she just touched onsomething we're talking
specifically about a Facebookpost with this kiddo holding up
the first day of school sign orpicture.
You know, hey, my name is suchand such, my teacher is so and
so-so, and limiting the amountof information in your first day
of school photos.
(10:07):
But when we're talking about adigital world, it really goes.
That goes equal with justdigital, the type of information
that you're putting on yourprofile on any social media
website.
To begin with, right, becausecertain ones Facebook for
example will let you put yourhometown, city you live in now,
(10:30):
where you were born, all thatstuff.
And even with that, especiallyfor kids, because I don't know
how old you have to be you'renot 14, I think to legally have
a Facebook.
That's something that parentswant to be cognizant of, how
much of that information thatthey are sharing that certain
(10:51):
social media outlets would likeyou to believe hey, this is just
so that we can help you buildyour network of friends, find
other friends in your area,things like that, and that's
true, that's fine, that's cool.
Other people will have otherintentions, and when we're
dealing with our children.
That's where you have to becognizant of not everything.
(11:11):
It may be as it seems.
Katia Gonzalez (11:13):
Yes, you're absolutely correct.
So the more careful that we canbe, even overly cautious, is
still better for our kidswhenever it comes to safety.
Hondo (11:21):
Yeah, so here's a question for you.
So the concern that we'retalking about again, we're
focusing primarily on thisFacebook post of this sweet kid
holding up the sign with a donot or what not to post, and
then what to post, which isbasically the first name only no
identifiable details and a funlittle fact.
(11:42):
You know, this particular kiddowants to be a veterinarian.
Thank goodness she didn'tchoose DJ, just saying she wants
to be able to feed her familywhen she grows up.
Is this concern that we'retalking about solely about
social media posts, or can therealso be risks when we're
sharing as kiddos, perhaps likein private groups or with other
(12:06):
friends?
Katia Gonzalez (12:07):
sure, I feel like we have to be careful, just
regardless like I know we ummentioned several times already
is it's not necessarilystrangers, so people that you
don't trust that that hurtchildren or put them in
dangerous situations.
So I feel like any time thatwe're sharing any type of
information about our children,we need to be cautious and
(12:28):
careful.
So I think that can beexpounded to in-person
situations as well.
Hondo (12:32):
And then I wanted to ask you about what you do
specifically with the educationaspect is how does Alliance for
Children work with, let's say,schools, law enforcement and
parents and educators to helpspread these safety tips?
What kind of workshops andclasses, the things you do you
mentioned you go into schools.
(12:53):
What kind of?
How does that look?
Katia Gonzalez (12:55):
Yeah, well, we're the only non-profit that's
directly involved in childabuse investigation.
So we work together with lawenforcement, the Child
Protective Services, just with avariety of organizations within
our community, all to intervenein situations where child abuse
has occurred on a criminallevel.
So because of that, we have alot of expertise on how we can
(13:17):
prevent that.
So we do partner with forchildren's education.
We partner with schooldistricts within Tarrant County,
so we go to schools and we talkto kids about personal body
safety, so what to do insituations if abuse is occurring
.
And then we also spend a lot oftime talking about internet
safety and digital safety.
(13:38):
So it's really teaching kids alot of the components that we're
discussing today about notsharing private information,
about just kind of some of therisk factors that can occur with
what they do online.
So we spend a lot of time doingthat education, starting all
the way with kindergarten,because a lot of like when we,
when we go to schools, like wenotice a lot of kindergartners
(13:58):
that are on iPads, they havephones, they watch YouTube
videos, they're very activeonline, um, so we want to make
sure that when they're doingthat, so they're doing that
safely, that is um, and then?
for same thing with adults, yeah.
Hondo (14:11):
Speaking of adults.
So then, um, are thereresources?
Cause it's really cool thaty'all are going into the schools
to work with these kiddos asyoung as you know five years old
, Gosh, four or five years oldin kindergarten.
What about the parents?
Are there workshops orresources?
I can't talk today, you know,hooked on phonics, it can help
(14:32):
you too workshops or resourceswhere families can access
information to learn more aboutthat online safety, especially
again, going back to parentsthat are, or grandparents, you
know so many.
(15:02):
This is another statistic that'sjust hard to grasp sometimes
and hard to swallow, is that somany of these kiddos are not
being raised by their parentsfor one reason or another.
Right, they're being raised byan aunt, an uncle, a grandparent
, multiple grandparents, andthen when you get into, I'm
probably old enough to be agrandparent.
I got two puppies in there, butthat's it.
But, you know, for agrandparent who certainly
doesn't know anything aboutSnapchat, Facebook, Twitter X,
(15:27):
whatever it's called today, arethere workshops or resources
that these families can accessto learn and to better educate
themselves about online safetywith their kiddos?
Katia Gonzalez (15:44):
Oh for sure, and online safety constantly
changes.
There's all kinds of new appsthat come by, so I think it's a
constant.
We have to, as adults, educateourselves so we know what our
kids are doing.
But our resources at Alliancefor Children probably the
easiest way to access is just togo to our website but we offer
on a regular basis just ongoingclasses that we do virtually.
(16:07):
That relates to supportingparents as they're having
conversations about Internetsafety with their children and
kind of going through somesafety dynamics with that, some
safety dynamics with that.
We also offer free courses,like if you have a PTA group or
maybe you're part of a churchgroup or a parent group or have
(16:29):
a gathering of 15 or more, as weusually say, like we can come
to you and offer training aswell.
So we just don't do that on anindividual basis, but if you
have a group that could benefitfrom that information.
We also travel all over TarrantCounty providing presentations
and trainings for people thatcould benefit from that.
Hondo (16:48):
Math was never my strong point, but I know y'all have
been around for a long timesince 1992, if I remember
correctly.
Yes, you are correct.
Yeah, memory serves mecorrectly, I believe it was 1992
.
So in that time, well, and whoknows how long have you been
with Alliance for Children,Claudia?
(17:09):
This month will actually be 10years 10 years, okay, so this
may apply to you personally aswell.
I wasn't sure how long of that,150 billion years, that Lions
for Children?
That's just quick radio mathfor you there.
10 years, wow, okay.
So, without sharing names, Ihave you seen real cases where
(17:31):
online oversharing, for example,has played a role in
endangering a child?
That's come through Alliancefor Children.
Katia Gonzalez (17:39):
Oh, certainly we see a lot of where oversharing
can become a problem withchildren.
That's coming through Alliancefor Children.
Is that relationship building?
And so it's not alwaysnecessarily of like, oh, I'm
like I'm a stranger and I knowwhere this kid goes to school,
I'm to come grab them.
It's more of like hey, littlejohnny, like I noticed that you
want to be a veterinarian, likeI also love animals.
(18:00):
So it's kind of like findingways of like knowing enough
information, of like oh, I knowthat you go to the school and I
know your teacher is blah, blah,blah and um, like just kind of
building that trust and buildingthat relationship.
And it's easier to do the moreinformation that we know about a
child.
So that's kind of where we seethe dangerous aspect of that.
(18:21):
And then also on the other sideI don't know that I have any
specific examples, but yes, onceyou've built that relationship
and you also know where thatchild lives and goes to school,
it's a lot easier access to getaccess to that child on a
face-to-face basis.
10 years.
Hondo (18:37):
That's a lot of experience.
What's the one thing that youwish every parent knew about,
say, for example, when it comesto posting online or just their
child's sharing their child'sinformation out there in the
world?
What's the one thing that youwish parents knew that perhaps
(19:01):
you didn't know when you came toalliance for children, like
what was the one aha moment thatyou were like oh wow, I didn't
know that.
Katia Gonzalez (19:08):
When you came to the organization, gosh, that's
probably so many when it comesto internet safety.
So many aha moments, because Ifeel like starting 10 years ago,
where the internet is now is alot different than where it is
today.
But I would think the biggesthopeful aha moment for me, I
think, would be I see thatparents and I completely
(19:33):
understand that as an adult thatdidn't grow up with a cell
phone as soon as you're oldenough to have one.
But I think kids are so savvyonline and so much of their
interaction online that I thinkparents because that's not the
world that we grew up in don'trealize how much happens and
don't realize how smart and howengaged kids are when it comes
(19:57):
to their online world and what Imean by that.
It's like they're shocked orlike I didn't know that you
could talk to people when you'replaying video games and like
create friendships and createall of these relationships
online.
I think that just is not an areaof safety that we think through
.
Like we think through, I'm notgoing to like let my kid go to a
stranger and get tutoringone-on-one with them, but we
(20:18):
don't think as much on well,like who are they talking
one-on-one to online?
And like who is that person andwhy are they talking to my
child?
So I just think overall, justhow smart kids are with their
online world and how much theydo is shocking to parents
whenever we have thesesituations where abuse has
happened as a result of that,and it's shocking to me as well
(20:42):
of what all kids are engaging in.
Hondo (20:44):
Oh yeah, some of the things I mean, like I said,
especially when you're talkingabout a grandchild or a
grandparent having to agrandchild or a grandparent
having to raise their child ortheir grandchild right, and they
don't know anything aboutsocial media or and this
computer that you've got in yourhand and how much you can do
(21:07):
and how much you can get into.
The kids' brains are not fullyformed, you know, and if the
child's brain is not fullyformed, they don't know what
they're getting into and thegrandparent doesn't know the
first thing about it.
You know it's, it's a recipefor what could be, you know,
(21:29):
disastrous.
To be honest with you, it couldbe disastrous, and so that's
why it's very important, that'swhy it's a godsend that an
organization like Alliance forChildren is out there going to
the schools educating these kidsas young as kindergarten,
because you know, five years old, they're on iPads.
(21:50):
I mean, good night you um.
I get my iPad taken away from meevery night at nine o'clock,
and I'm 53 years old, so, andthat's you know what?
Katia Gonzalez (21:59):
that's a very good, healthy approach.
I like that.
Hondo (22:02):
Yeah, my wife's first grade school teacher.
So every night at nine o'clock,give me your iPad, um and go do
your homework.
But um, but then also couplingwith what Alliance for Children
is doing proactively in theschools for these kiddos.
It's imperative that theseparents, guardians, grandparents
(22:25):
whoever is in charge of thatchild's well-being and educators
and educators to educatethemselves on what we're talking
about today the online safety,digital age safety, in addition
to all the other, you know,things that Alliance for
(22:47):
Children talks about as far assafety of kiddos, but at the
forefront, this online safety isa big one, because these kids
are walking around literallywith computers and access to the
world in their pockets.
Katia Gonzalez (23:03):
Yeah, you're absolutely right.
Hondo (23:19):
So I've got one last question for you.
That's going to lead into ournext interview and that
interview is going to take placesometime in April.
April is child abuse preventionawareness month.
That's when Alliance forChildren and I, every year for
many, many years, would sit downand talk about all things.
Alliance for Children and I,every year for many, many years,
would sit down and talk aboutall things, alliance for
Children, usually with uh Katiaor uh Julie Evans, the CEO, and
(23:44):
everything they're doing.
Uh, she mentioned theircollaboration with law
enforcement, and we talk aboutall that stuff in April.
That's great, but, as we know,child abuse doesn't happen stuff
in April, that's great, but, aswe know, child abuse doesn't
happen just in April, right?
So that's why, when I saw thisyeah, when I saw this post and
back to school is happening herein Texas this week, so I
(24:05):
thought we need to jump on thehorn and talk about this now, as
parents are getting ready toput out those first day of
school pictures.
But before I ask you this lastquestion if parents remember
just one thing from what wetalked about today, what would
you want that to be?
Katia Gonzalez (24:26):
One thing.
That's a tough one, but I wouldjust say be careful on how
trusting we are.
Like, not everybody is a personthat we can trust.
So as much as we can putprotective boundaries around
kids, regardless of who they'rewith, um the safer that that
children can be.
So pay attention to those redflags and build those protective
(24:46):
barriers, doesn't matter whothe child is with right.
Hondo (24:50):
And then the big question and this is going to be the
cliffhanger till April 2026, iswhat we've been talking about
today, as far as these pictures,these wonderful, beautiful
pictures that everybody lovesseeing on first day of school
advice that you've providedtoday fit into a broader
(25:13):
strategy for teaching thesekiddos about digital safety.
That's what we're going to talkabout in April.
Kadi Gonzalez she is theDirector of Training and Team
Relations.
I wrote that down with mynumber two pencil on my big
chief tablet.
Katia Gonzalez (25:30):
I love it.
Hondo (25:31):
You don't even know what a big chief tablet is.
You're way younger than I am.
Katia Gonzalez (25:36):
I don't know.
I don't know that I want to sayhow old I am, but no, I do not
know what that is.
Hondo (25:40):
Big Chief tablet number two, pencil.
And I'm going to wrap it all upin my I do know the number two
pencil.
I'm going to wrap it all up inmy Trapper Keeper and hold on to
this information till April2026.
While you go, google Big ChiefTablets and Trapper Keepers.
Katia Gonzalez (25:57):
I will go do that.
Hondo (25:58):
Real quick.
Do you all have any big eventscoming up?
Folks need to know aboutbetween now and April when we
talk.
Katia Gonzalez (26:04):
February is our let's Play Bingo event.
So it's an event just forladies, but it's an opportunity
to gather to support Alliancefor Children and then just have
lots and lots of fun playingbingo.
Hondo (26:15):
Let's play bingo in February.
You can get more details comingsoon to allianceforchildrenorg.
Again, special thanks to KatiaGonzalez, Director of Training
Team Relations at Alliance forChildren.
I am Hondo.
This has been Texas Together.
Go out and make it a great week, y'all, and dare to care.
This is Texas Together, the podcast celebrating the
people, missions and storiesthat bring Texas together.
It's actually episode one.
Back to School is happeninghere in North Texas and probably
all around the state this week.
Thousands upon thousands ofkiddos are going back to school.
My wife is celebrating, Katia,her 27th first day of teaching.
Katia Gonzalez (00:22):
How exciting is that.
Congrats to her.
Hondo (00:24):
And so I was playing around on the Book of Faces and
lo and behold, what do I seeRight in time for school, a post
from Alliance for Children,Tarrant County, about back to
school safety.
Now, and, by the way, say helloto my guest for the next 30
minutes or so Katia Gonzalez,how are you?
Katia Gonzalez (00:43):
I'm doing great.
Thank you so much for having me.
Hondo (00:46):
What intrigued me about this is when you think about all
these kids going back to school.
I know for a lot of familiesit's not even really a tradition
, it's more like a rite ofpassage right, you take that
first day of school photo.
I saw this post on Facebookfrom Alliance for Children,
tarrant County's Facebook page.
(01:06):
You ought to follow them there.
It was very simple what not topost on your child's first day
of school?
And I thought, huh, when I wasa kid I'm sure I'm older than
you are, Katia, but when I was akid, first day of school
pictures got put on therefrigerator and maybe sent to
grandma and that was about it.
Katia Gonzalez (01:27):
Or in the newsletter or something like
that.
Hondo (01:29):
Yeah, exactly Right.
I remember those days and thatwas it.
You didn't have to worry aboutanything else.
Well, there was one exception,I guess if you gave your school
picture to your girlfriend Sally, you you occasionally had to
worry about Sally ripping it upwhen she broke up with you.
(01:49):
But that's not a conversationfor today.
That's a bad experience I don'twant to talk about.
Katia Gonzalez (01:56):
Okay, I can tell you have a story to that.
Hondo (01:58):
Yeah, we're not going to go there, Katia, so tell
everybody about you, what you doat Alliance for Children?
Katia Gonzalez (02:04):
Yeah, so I'm the Director of Training and Team
Relations at Alliance forChildren, and we do a lot of
really great things, but one ofthe departments that I oversee
is our education department.
So we go to schools and we talkto kids about how to stay safe,
and one of the ways, one of thelessons that we have, is about
digital safety or internetsafety, and then we also talk to
(02:25):
adults about ways.
If we're telling children howto stay safe and report to
trusted adults if somebody ishurting them, then we also want
to make sure that the adults intheir lives are also properly
trained in how to protect themand how to take action if needed
.
Hondo (02:39):
So, going back to this post that y'all did, now this is
an audio podcast, so we'regoing to try to make this uh
kind of paint a picture of youwill.
There's a kiddo holding a signthat is very familiar in
households all across not justNorth Texas but really America
with hey.
My name is Jaylynn Garcia, I'min fourth grade, I am nine years
(03:03):
old, my school is AllianceElementary, my teacher is Mrs
Evans, and when I grow up, Iwant to be a veterinarian.
And that picture is subtitledwith what not to post on your
child's first day of school, andit's got various little things
leading to that picture of herholding up this wonderful little
(03:24):
sign that you should not post.
And again, there's a lot ofthings that especially parents
that are my age are not thinkingabout.
Right, because they're notthinking about digital safety,
social media safety, because wedidn't grow up in that era,
citing Taylor Swift.
We weren't in that era.
So let's start with a full name.
(03:46):
Why is it that you don't wantto post your child's full name
on their back to school photo?
What's wrong?
What's the harm in putting justhey, my name is Hondo Robertson
.
Katia Gonzalez (03:59):
Sure, well, we teach children about not posting
about personal informationabout themselves because that
could get in a variety ofdangers.
So we also want to make sure,like well, we're teaching
children that let's make surethat the adults in their lives
are following by example withthat as well.
So, and there's a variety ofjust risky situations that can
happen when we post too muchpersonal information.
So if you're posting that onInstagram or Facebook, we don't
(04:23):
know if those profiles areprivate.
So there could be just randompeople that are viewing your
child's information knowingtheir names, like their full
name, so first or last name.
So it's a lot of access to achild just knowing that, and
then I think we'll talk throughabout some of the dangers with
that.
So it's not necessarily justknowing their name, but they're
knowing their name plus a myriadof all other information about
(04:46):
them.
Hondo (04:48):
And again from Alliance for Children's standpoint, and
rightfully so.
You all are concerned mostlywith the perpetrators who would
want to do harm to these kiddos,right, yes, that is our mission
, yes, and when we make thoseposts, we're thinking of like,
we're posting this for ourfriends and family to see and to
celebrate with us.
I don't think that most adultsare posting that information
(05:11):
thinking of other pick right,and they do it for every year
typically Um, but especially ayoungster, like my wife's first
grade school teacher.
(05:31):
Those kids are six, seven yearsold, sometimes five years old,
six years old.
Parents aren't thinking about,uh, any of that other stuff
other than, oh my gosh, mybaby's growing up right.
This is their kindergarten.
They're going into kindergarten, they're going into the first
grade, now they're going intosecond, or whatever the case
(05:52):
might be, they want to celebratethose milestones.
So, going to the second picture, what are some safe ways that
parents can share those back toschool moments without
compromising a child's safety?
Katia Gonzalez (06:08):
Yeah, well, I would say that limiting as much
of that personal information aswe can would be really
beneficial.
And then also paying attentionto where we're posting that
information.
So making sure that if you'reposting on Facebook or Instagram
or Snapchat, that only peoplethat you want to see your
child's picture have access tothat.
So making sure that if you'reposting on Facebook or Instagram
or Snapchat, that only peoplethat you want to see your
child's picture have access tothat, so making sure that all of
(06:30):
your profiles are set toprivate, is really important.
But then it's also thinkingthrough of like, ok, I'm posting
my child's name, so nowsomebody that might have access
to that will know their name.
They'll know the school that wego to If we're posting where at
school they go to.
Most of us have schools that arereally close to where we live,
so now this person knows, like,the proximity of where that
(06:52):
person might live.
And then most of those picturesthat I've seen like I know I'm
similar to you to where I'msifting through my social media
and I've seen all these adorablepictures, but most of them are
in front of their house, right,so, kind of depending, some of
them might be like right infront of their door, but some of
them are like really wide whereyou can see the entire house,
and if somebody is reallywanting to get information, they
(07:14):
can likely figure out if theyhave a school name of the street
or something like that thatmight be in the background.
So all of those things are justproviding a lot of information.
No-transcript profiles.
(07:58):
And all of that to say I want topoint out is most of the time
abuse doesn't happen withstrangers.
It usually happens withsomebody that child already
knows and trusts.
So I want to point out is, mostof the time abuse doesn't
happen with strangers, itusually happens with somebody
that child already knows andtrusts.
So I want to point that out.
But it doesn't mean that weshouldn't protect them from
other situations as well.
We're talking about digitalsafety.
So you're right, for yearswe're saying like statistically
it used to actually be like 95,98% when we looked at numbers
(08:20):
with somebody that that childknew and trust and over the
years we're seeing that kind oflike dwindling down to like in
the 90%, to somebody that thatchild like knows within their
circle, like somebody that theyknow in person and real life.
But what we're seeing more andmore is that I don't want to say
stranger situation.
It's still somebody that thatchild develops a relationship
(08:42):
with, but we're seeing more andmore of that relationship
building happening online withwhat like essentially strangers,
not somebody that's in thatchild's normal circle, but
they're meeting people online.
They're developing arelationship with them and a lot
of that can be through sharingof that information and
developing that kind of rapportwith the child, and that's
(09:02):
easier to do when you know moreabout them, and then dangerous
situations can happen from them.
So that's easier to do when youknow more about them and then
dangerous situations can happenfrom them.
So that's what we're trying toavoid is that the less
information, the less accesspeople have to our kids online,
the safer that is for them yeah,hanging out with katia gonzalez
, who is with alliance forchildren.
Hondo (09:21):
Tell everybody your fancy title again, because it's
longer than mine.
Mine's just goofball
Katia Gonzalez (09:30):
Oh goodness.
It's not super fancy, but it'sDirector of Training and Team
Relations.
Yes, director of Training andTeam Relations.
Alliance for Children.
Alliance for Children Telleverybody your website.
I've got it right here.
It's been a little bitAllianceforchildrenorg Super
easy.
Hondo (09:46):
Allianceforchildrenorg is the website where you can get
all kinds of information.
And she just touched onsomething we're talking
specifically about a Facebookpost with this kiddo holding up
the first day of school sign orpicture.
You know, hey, my name is suchand such, my teacher is so and
so-so, and limiting the amountof information in your first day
of school photos.
(10:07):
But when we're talking about adigital world, it really goes.
That goes equal with justdigital, the type of information
that you're putting on yourprofile on any social media
website.
To begin with, right, becausecertain ones Facebook for
example will let you put yourhometown, city you live in now,
(10:30):
where you were born, all thatstuff.
And even with that, especiallyfor kids, because I don't know
how old you have to be you'renot 14, I think to legally have
a Facebook.
That's something that parentswant to be cognizant of, how
much of that information thatthey are sharing that certain
(10:51):
social media outlets would likeyou to believe hey, this is just
so that we can help you buildyour network of friends, find
other friends in your area,things like that, and that's
true, that's fine, that's cool.
Other people will have otherintentions, and when we're
dealing with our children.
That's where you have to becognizant of not everything.
(11:11):
It may be as it seems.
Katia Gonzalez (11:13):
Yes, you're absolutely correct.
So the more careful that we canbe, even overly cautious, is
still better for our kidswhenever it comes to safety.
Hondo (11:21):
Yeah, so here's a question for you.
So the concern that we'retalking about again, we're
focusing primarily on thisFacebook post of this sweet kid
holding up the sign with a donot or what not to post, and
then what to post, which isbasically the first name only no
identifiable details and a funlittle fact.
(11:42):
You know, this particular kiddowants to be a veterinarian.
Thank goodness she didn'tchoose DJ, just saying she wants
to be able to feed her familywhen she grows up.
Is this concern that we'retalking about solely about
social media posts, or can therealso be risks when we're
sharing as kiddos, perhaps likein private groups or with other
(12:06):
friends?
Katia Gonzalez (12:07):
sure, I feel like we have to be careful, just
regardless like I know we ummentioned several times already
is it's not necessarilystrangers, so people that you
don't trust that that hurtchildren or put them in
dangerous situations.
So I feel like any time thatwe're sharing any type of
information about our children,we need to be cautious and
(12:28):
careful.
So I think that can beexpounded to in-person
situations as well.
Hondo (12:32):
And then I wanted to ask you about what you do
specifically with the educationaspect is how does Alliance for
Children work with, let's say,schools, law enforcement and
parents and educators to helpspread these safety tips?
What kind of workshops andclasses, the things you do you
mentioned you go into schools.
(12:53):
What kind of?
How does that look?
Katia Gonzalez (12:55):
Yeah, well, we're the only non-profit that's
directly involved in childabuse investigation.
So we work together with lawenforcement, the Child
Protective Services, just with avariety of organizations within
our community, all to intervenein situations where child abuse
has occurred on a criminallevel.
So because of that, we have alot of expertise on how we can
(13:17):
prevent that.
So we do partner with forchildren's education.
We partner with schooldistricts within Tarrant County,
so we go to schools and we talkto kids about personal body
safety, so what to do insituations if abuse is occurring
.
And then we also spend a lot oftime talking about internet
safety and digital safety.
(13:38):
So it's really teaching kids alot of the components that we're
discussing today about notsharing private information,
about just kind of some of therisk factors that can occur with
what they do online.
So we spend a lot of time doingthat education, starting all
the way with kindergarten,because a lot of like when we,
when we go to schools, like wenotice a lot of kindergartners
(13:58):
that are on iPads, they havephones, they watch YouTube
videos, they're very activeonline, um, so we want to make
sure that when they're doingthat, so they're doing that
safely, that is um, and then?
for same thing with adults, yeah.
Hondo (14:11):
Speaking of adults.
So then, um, are thereresources?
Cause it's really cool thaty'all are going into the schools
to work with these kiddos asyoung as you know five years old
, Gosh, four or five years oldin kindergarten.
What about the parents?
Are there workshops orresources?
I can't talk today, you know,hooked on phonics, it can help
(14:32):
you too workshops or resourceswhere families can access
information to learn more aboutthat online safety, especially
again, going back to parentsthat are, or grandparents, you
know so many.
(15:02):
This is another statistic that'sjust hard to grasp sometimes
and hard to swallow, is that somany of these kiddos are not
being raised by their parentsfor one reason or another.
Right, they're being raised byan aunt, an uncle, a grandparent
, multiple grandparents, andthen when you get into, I'm
probably old enough to be agrandparent.
I got two puppies in there, butthat's it.
But, you know, for agrandparent who certainly
doesn't know anything aboutSnapchat, Facebook, Twitter X,
(15:27):
whatever it's called today, arethere workshops or resources
that these families can accessto learn and to better educate
themselves about online safetywith their kiddos?
Katia Gonzalez (15:44):
Oh for sure, and online safety constantly
changes.
There's all kinds of new appsthat come by, so I think it's a
constant.
We have to, as adults, educateourselves so we know what our
kids are doing.
But our resources at Alliancefor Children probably the
easiest way to access is just togo to our website but we offer
on a regular basis just ongoingclasses that we do virtually.
(16:07):
That relates to supportingparents as they're having
conversations about Internetsafety with their children and
kind of going through somesafety dynamics with that, some
safety dynamics with that.
We also offer free courses,like if you have a PTA group or
maybe you're part of a churchgroup or a parent group or have
(16:29):
a gathering of 15 or more, as weusually say, like we can come
to you and offer training aswell.
So we just don't do that on anindividual basis, but if you
have a group that could benefitfrom that information.
We also travel all over TarrantCounty providing presentations
and trainings for people thatcould benefit from that.
Hondo (16:48):
Math was never my strong point, but I know y'all have
been around for a long timesince 1992, if I remember
correctly.
Yes, you are correct.
Yeah, memory serves mecorrectly, I believe it was 1992
.
So in that time, well, and whoknows how long have you been
with Alliance for Children,Claudia?
(17:09):
This month will actually be 10years 10 years, okay, so this
may apply to you personally aswell.
I wasn't sure how long of that,150 billion years, that Lions
for Children?
That's just quick radio mathfor you there.
10 years, wow, okay.
So, without sharing names, Ihave you seen real cases where
(17:31):
online oversharing, for example,has played a role in
endangering a child?
That's come through Alliancefor Children.
Katia Gonzalez (17:39):
Oh, certainly we see a lot of where oversharing
can become a problem withchildren.
That's coming through Alliancefor Children.
Is that relationship building?
And so it's not alwaysnecessarily of like, oh, I'm
like I'm a stranger and I knowwhere this kid goes to school,
I'm to come grab them.
It's more of like hey, littlejohnny, like I noticed that you
want to be a veterinarian, likeI also love animals.
(18:00):
So it's kind of like findingways of like knowing enough
information, of like oh, I knowthat you go to the school and I
know your teacher is blah, blah,blah and um, like just kind of
building that trust and buildingthat relationship.
And it's easier to do the moreinformation that we know about a
child.
So that's kind of where we seethe dangerous aspect of that.
(18:21):
And then also on the other sideI don't know that I have any
specific examples, but yes, onceyou've built that relationship
and you also know where thatchild lives and goes to school,
it's a lot easier access to getaccess to that child on a
face-to-face basis.
10 years.
Hondo (18:37):
That's a lot of experience.
What's the one thing that youwish every parent knew about,
say, for example, when it comesto posting online or just their
child's sharing their child'sinformation out there in the
world?
What's the one thing that youwish parents knew that perhaps
(19:01):
you didn't know when you came toalliance for children, like
what was the one aha moment thatyou were like oh wow, I didn't
know that.
Katia Gonzalez (19:08):
When you came to the organization, gosh, that's
probably so many when it comesto internet safety.
So many aha moments, because Ifeel like starting 10 years ago,
where the internet is now is alot different than where it is
today.
But I would think the biggesthopeful aha moment for me, I
think, would be I see thatparents and I completely
(19:33):
understand that as an adult thatdidn't grow up with a cell
phone as soon as you're oldenough to have one.
But I think kids are so savvyonline and so much of their
interaction online that I thinkparents because that's not the
world that we grew up in don'trealize how much happens and
don't realize how smart and howengaged kids are when it comes
(19:57):
to their online world and what Imean by that.
It's like they're shocked orlike I didn't know that you
could talk to people when you'replaying video games and like
create friendships and createall of these relationships
online.
I think that just is not an areaof safety that we think through
.
Like we think through, I'm notgoing to like let my kid go to a
stranger and get tutoringone-on-one with them, but we
(20:18):
don't think as much on well,like who are they talking
one-on-one to online?
And like who is that person andwhy are they talking to my
child?
So I just think overall, justhow smart kids are with their
online world and how much theydo is shocking to parents
whenever we have thesesituations where abuse has
happened as a result of that,and it's shocking to me as well
(20:42):
of what all kids are engaging in.
Hondo (20:44):
Oh yeah, some of the things I mean, like I said,
especially when you're talkingabout a grandchild or a
grandparent having to agrandchild or a grandparent
having to raise their child ortheir grandchild right, and they
don't know anything aboutsocial media or and this
computer that you've got in yourhand and how much you can do
(21:07):
and how much you can get into.
The kids' brains are not fullyformed, you know, and if the
child's brain is not fullyformed, they don't know what
they're getting into and thegrandparent doesn't know the
first thing about it.
You know it's, it's a recipefor what could be, you know,
(21:29):
disastrous.
To be honest with you, it couldbe disastrous, and so that's
why it's very important, that'swhy it's a godsend that an
organization like Alliance forChildren is out there going to
the schools educating these kidsas young as kindergarten,
because you know, five years old, they're on iPads.
(21:50):
I mean, good night you um.
I get my iPad taken away from meevery night at nine o'clock,
and I'm 53 years old, so, andthat's you know what?
Katia Gonzalez (21:59):
that's a very good, healthy approach.
I like that.
Hondo (22:02):
Yeah, my wife's first grade school teacher.
So every night at nine o'clock,give me your iPad, um and go do
your homework.
But um, but then also couplingwith what Alliance for Children
is doing proactively in theschools for these kiddos.
It's imperative that theseparents, guardians, grandparents
(22:25):
whoever is in charge of thatchild's well-being and educators
and educators to educatethemselves on what we're talking
about today the online safety,digital age safety, in addition
to all the other, you know,things that Alliance for
(22:47):
Children talks about as far assafety of kiddos, but at the
forefront, this online safety isa big one, because these kids
are walking around literallywith computers and access to the
world in their pockets.
Katia Gonzalez (23:03):
Yeah, you're absolutely right.
Hondo (23:19):
So I've got one last question for you.
That's going to lead into ournext interview and that
interview is going to take placesometime in April.
April is child abuse preventionawareness month.
That's when Alliance forChildren and I, every year for
many, many years, would sit downand talk about all things.
Alliance for Children and I,every year for many, many years,
would sit down and talk aboutall things, alliance for
Children, usually with uh Katiaor uh Julie Evans, the CEO, and
(23:44):
everything they're doing.
Uh, she mentioned theircollaboration with law
enforcement, and we talk aboutall that stuff in April.
That's great, but, as we know,child abuse doesn't happen stuff
in April, that's great, but, aswe know, child abuse doesn't
happen just in April, right?
So that's why, when I saw thisyeah, when I saw this post and
back to school is happening herein Texas this week, so I
(24:05):
thought we need to jump on thehorn and talk about this now, as
parents are getting ready toput out those first day of
school pictures.
But before I ask you this lastquestion if parents remember
just one thing from what wetalked about today, what would
you want that to be?
Katia Gonzalez (24:26):
One thing.
That's a tough one, but I wouldjust say be careful on how
trusting we are.
Like, not everybody is a personthat we can trust.
So as much as we can putprotective boundaries around
kids, regardless of who they'rewith, um the safer that that
children can be.
So pay attention to those redflags and build those protective
(24:46):
barriers, doesn't matter whothe child is with right.
Hondo (24:50):
And then the big question and this is going to be the
cliffhanger till April 2026, iswhat we've been talking about
today, as far as these pictures,these wonderful, beautiful
pictures that everybody lovesseeing on first day of school
advice that you've providedtoday fit into a broader
(25:13):
strategy for teaching thesekiddos about digital safety.
That's what we're going to talkabout in April.
Kadi Gonzalez she is theDirector of Training and Team
Relations.
I wrote that down with mynumber two pencil on my big
chief tablet.
Katia Gonzalez (25:30):
I love it.
Hondo (25:31):
You don't even know what a big chief tablet is.
You're way younger than I am.
Katia Gonzalez (25:36):
I don't know.
I don't know that I want to sayhow old I am, but no, I do not
know what that is.
Hondo (25:40):
Big Chief tablet number two, pencil.
And I'm going to wrap it all upin my I do know the number two
pencil.
I'm going to wrap it all up inmy Trapper Keeper and hold on to
this information till April2026.
While you go, google Big ChiefTablets and Trapper Keepers.
Katia Gonzalez (25:57):
I will go do that.
Hondo (25:58):
Real quick.
Do you all have any big eventscoming up?
Folks need to know aboutbetween now and April when we
talk.
Katia Gonzalez (26:04):
February is our let's Play Bingo event.
So it's an event just forladies, but it's an opportunity
to gather to support Alliancefor Children and then just have
lots and lots of fun playingbingo.
Hondo (26:15):
Let's play bingo in February.
You can get more details comingsoon to allianceforchildrenorg.
Again, special thanks to KatiaGonzalez, Director of Training
Team Relations at Alliance forChildren.
I am Hondo.
This has been Texas Together.
Go out and make it a great week, y'all, and dare to care.
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