AUGUSTA, Ga. - Cell phones and text messages are a big part of a young person's world, but it is a world full of dangers many parents know nothing about.

Vanessa Darling does know teens and technology can be a dangerous mix.

“Text messaging and internet is big,” Darling said.

That is why she attended Saturday's Empowering Youth and Families Forum about internet and text message safety as a part of this years Children's Week event.

“It was awesome,” Darling said.

Audrey Fulton is a mother who also attended the event.

"There's a lot of abbreviations that kids use when text messaging or on the computer and I didn't know anything about any of those," Fulton said.

The hour long session was lead by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. It focused mainly on those abbreviations which can be misleading to parents and make kids easy targets for predators.

"Parents need to know these codes,” Darling said.

Fulton says it is frightening how much is slipping by parents.

“I never think about that they could be interacting with someone that could want to harm them,” she said.

Along with the text message and internet safety forum there was also a forum for parents and teens about underage drinking

“Underage drinking can be deadly,” Isaac Butler said.

Butler says he knows underage drinking is bad but the forum was a good reminder.

“It was a refresher,” he said.

Along with the forums there was also a talent show for the children. The winner of the show earned $500.

Other activities celebrating Children's Week are scheduled through next week. Sunday organizers will hold an education fair at the 8th Street Plaza on the Riverwalk. That is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Also a Children's Week parade is scheduled for tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Augusta. You can find other Children's Week events in our community section.