Federation teams with FBI to present seminar about online risks for kids

Shawn Brokos was stunned when she heard FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst John Pulcastro discuss the dangers for young people online at a December presentation by the Department of Homeland Security at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum.

“The room was largely comprised of current or former law enforcement, and we were shocked by what we heard,” said Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “We realized that we needed to wrap our heads around what’s happening with the current threats online as it relates to our youth.”

Brokos said that at the conclusion of the meeting she asked Pulcastro to do a community presentation. The result is the Feb. 26 seminar “What Every Parent Needs to Know: Understanding Online Risks for Our Kids,” at 7 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation, sponsored by the Federation.

Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

Topics will include what type of online behaviors are gaining traction among youth; how to recognize that a young person may be struggling in unsafe digital spaces; practical steps families can take to encourage healthy online habits; how to prevent harmful situations; and strategies for responding calmly and confidently if concerns arise.

The message, Brokos said, is important and one that is often hard to get across.

“Even in law enforcement we are struggling to get this message to parents,” she said. “They don’t fully understand what is happening online and how the grooming and solicitation of minors and adolescents is leading to violent behavior to include self-harm, suicide, prompting of violence and mass shootings.”

Bolstering Brokos’ point, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed it received more than 500,000 reports of online enticement in 2025. It also received nearly 1,100 reports of sadistic online enticement, more than 23,500 reports of financial sextortion and nearly 63,000 reports of child sex trafficking.

Similarly, the website Enough is Enough reported that the parental control tool Bark analyzed more than 3.4 billion messages in 2021 across texts, emails and more than 30 apps and social media platforms. It found that 85% of teens experienced bullying as a victim or witness; 32% of tweens and 85% of teens engaged in conversations about depression; 43% of tweens and nearly 75% of teens were involved in conversations or situations involving self-harm or suicide ; and 80% of tweens and more than 94% of teens expressed or experienced violent subject matter and thoughts.

Brokos said it’s critical for parents to recognize how fast the online world is changing and how criminals are exploiting it to specifically recruit children for violent purposes.

“That could be through doxing or swatting or animal cruelty or violent acts,” she said. “This is not just a child stumbling into the wrong chat room.”

Instead, she said, it’s an orchestrated effort by groups to desensitize youth to violence and to then groom them and finally prompt acts of violence.

“Whether that’s asking them to cut themselves, or a video of them doing a violent act, it almost sounds hard to believe but this translates to the world of security where we are seeing school shootings and mass shootings being conducted by individuals who have fallen prey to this solicitation online,” Brokos said.

FBI Public Affairs Officer Bradford Arick said the information presented at the seminar is important to everyone — parents, children, families, school administrators, and religious, civic and social groups.

“Everyone needs to be aware that this is happening and that there are signs and symptoms of it, and where to go to get help to, at least, report it to law enforcement,” he said.

Arick said it’s crucial for parents to become educated about the digital landscape because the danger is across platforms and devices.

“I don’t think parents know or understand the level of technology that very young children have access to and that they are very adept at handling, day in and day out,” he said. “That’s where the value is in an event like this, that knowledge component. It can literally save somebody’s life.”

Brokos agreed, adding that parents should know that the need for this seminar is not an indictment on their parenting.

“We have seen the most diligent and caring of parents have children who fall victim to this. This is not a reflection on their parenting,” she said.

Instead, she explained, the seminar is another tool to help parents understand the risks online for their children.

“We want parents to have these resources because intervention is essential,” she said.

To register for “What Every Parent Needs to Know,” go to jewishpgh.org/event/understanding/. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.