Just a thought on tip #1 – make your profile public. I would caution churches on how much information they make public when it comes to youth group profiles. Kids posting and saying that yes, they will be at such and such an event at such and such a time etc. is leaving them vulnerable if the profile is open to anyone. We keep certain elements public so that people can get a sense or a feel for what is going on, but then they must become friends to see the exchanges among the kids.

We had a big wake-up call when we realized how much information could be obtained.

Scenario:
You have a youth page (run by the Church) and a lot of the youth in your area sign up as friends.
You have your events posted.
A child posts that they are looking for a ride to the next event and they live in such and such an area.

People reading this group now have
1. approximate age and grade of the child
2. child’s first and last name
3. where they are going to be at what time
4. approximate area they live

That is without them posting any further information on their profile. If their profile is public then all bets are off.

I have often wondered how much liability that organizations such as churches hold in situations such as this. Our answer here has been to lock down the interaction portions, as we really can’t control what the kids say or how they restrict access to their profiles. Of course, unscrupulous people can always pose as a child and gain access that way, but we can say we have taken reasonable precautions.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has had a legal/liability opinion on any of this type of online stuff.