In an age of smartphones, social networking Web sites and the Internet, it's easy to lose track of children or teens' personal lives amid digital forms of communication.

The Amador Child Abuse Prevention Council is providing parents and children with a free workshop that discusses the risks involved when children and teens don't use precaution online.

Many children - and parents - are unaware of the consequences that can stem from sharing sexually explicit photos via the Internet or texting (also known as "sexting") - and also the effects of "cyber bullying" across the vast networking outlets accessible to youths.

"Once you click send, it's no longer in your control," warned ACAPC Program Coordinator Robin Valencia.

Those who are in possession of nude photos and are under the age of 18 can face charges of child pornography possession - even if someone takes the pictures of themselves. If photos are exchanged and sent to others, it could be considered distribution of child pornography.

"That's the way the law looks at it," Valencia said. The results of "sexting" for adults and youths can lead to the dissolution of a job, not getting accepted into a college or being sent out of school due to the possibility of the images being circulated on the Internet for a long time.

"The main problem is the harassment that kids can face when these images go public," Valencia said. She explained that ACAPC's Online Safety and Cyber Bullying workshop educates both parents, children and teens about the importance of maintaining a safe profile on the Web.

"We tell kids, 'don't post something personal,'" she said. The majority of the workshops are held at local schools in an assembly setting. Last year was the first year that ACAPC spoke to a high school about this topic. In the last couple of years, the workshop has reached close to 4,000 children in the county.

The workshop also educates children about who to consider their "friends" online and how to create safe and secure passwords and user names. With many youths utilizing social networking Web sites such as Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, it's important for kids to create a profile that protects them from online predators and bullies, according to Valencia.

"Cyber bullying" has recently become an issue among kids across the nation. One of the most publicized stories of "cyber bullying" was that of Megan Meir, the 13-year-old girl from Missouri who committed suicide in 2006 after enduring severe harassment through Myspace.

"It follows you home," Valencia said of kids who experience online bullying. "A lot of the time, they (children) are not taken seriously." The ACAPC workshop helps children identify what is considered appropriate or not, and what a threatening message consists of.

"Bullying can be done through e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, Web sites and gaming sites," she added. "It's the sending of unnecessary or unwanted messages, spreading rumors or lies to try to get someone in trouble, taking pictures of someone else or posing as someone else."

The abuse from other kids can also derive from youths not taking precautions in the information they send out to others who they might consider trustworthy. "Sexting" can be a main contributor to bullying. According to reports from MSNBC.com, a 13-year-old Florida girl hanged herself about three months ago after she sent nude photos of herself to a boy she liked. Another girl used his phone to forward the pictures along to others.

Those who are interested in ACAPC's Online Safety and Cyber Bullying workshop may view it by e-mailing info@amadorcapc.org or by calling 223-5921. The next public workshop will be held at the Upcountry Community Center in Pine Grove Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. The workshop will be adjusted to the age group of the audience that attends.