With children settling back into their desks for another year of learning, many of them will have homework assignments that will require them to research material on the Internet. As a large resource, the Internet can assist young minds discover useful information for homework and school projects. And after doing their school work, many of these same students will use the Internet for leisure activities like surfing the net, chatting with friends on social networking sites or playing video games. It is here where parents should be wary and pay particular attention to what their kids are doing on the computer and not rely on it as a co-babysitter with their television sets. Although the Internet has many positive attributes, the increasing dangers posed to children should raise caution flags for parents.
There is a natural naiveté of young people to just how dark the World Wide Web can be. Combine that with casual lack of oversight by parents or the misplaced confidence in screening software and it mixes up a recipe for serious problems for the lives and psyches of our kids.
For children 10 years and under, early exposure to pornography is particularly troublesome. Whether accidentally or deliberately, porn can find its way onto your computer screens when your child is on it. Make no mistake that their little minds are not hardwired for such imagery and there are indications revealing disturbing trends where some children are acting out sexually on other children as a result of this corrupt visualization. Children do not understand such imagery and sometimes have a hard time expressing what they have seen. Not withstanding the blurring lines for law enforcement on determining culpability of young violators, it is crystal clear that children have been victimized. The poison of porn has always been problematic for adults but now it is corroding our children’s minds primarily through easy Internet access. With over 40,000 porn sites on the Net, this toxic influence will likely get worse.
Poisonous pictures can also lead to other even more serious risks. It can begin with kids’ on-line chatting. Children can easily develop a trusting friendly relationship with a complete stranger based on keystrokes in the comfort of their homes. Most offenders openly solicit victims on-line through bringing up sexual topics, engaging in cyber sex or transmitting sexual pictures. This is done through the anonymity provided by the Web. Phone encounters may progress after on-line activity and then can advance to actual physical encounters. Many cases of abuse involved face-to-face sexual encounters, some of these involving some form of sexual contact between the offender and the victim. The offender is not considered a stranger to the child for they feel they have created a “trusting” friendship. Many crimes occur after the offender builds that relationship on-line with the victim.
And for our young teenagers, the hip appeal to social networking sites such as My Space and Face Book are not without serious risks and parents are negligent if they dismiss their teen’s participation as nothing more than “kids being kids.” Moms shouldn’t delude themselves into thinking that their sons and daughters are just kibitzing with their friends inside networks only secure to those pals with passwords. Visits or browsing throughout these systems can lead them to some bizarre stuff. Also, teens can set up two networks, one they show their parents and one that they access to outside their supervision. Ask yourself why they would do this. Also “friends” can become estranged and we all know that ex-friends are capable of sharing those old secrets, i.e. site access of ex-friends. Instantly outsiders are accessing private information and downloading pictures without permission. These personal pictures can then be altered in very inappropriate and degrading ways. These “notebooks” are not secure and safe. Many so called “outsiders” can gain access to personal information and befriend anyone listing personal information about them. It is why it is so important to always know who children are chatting with.
Also, parents and teens should be especially vigilant in posting those innocuous pictures of them at the beach in their bathing suits, at school in varsity jerseys, with friends, family, or honestly any photos at all. Once those pictures are out, they can easily get lost in an electronic universe where retrieving them is unrealistic. So for every Dad and Mom who is uncomfortable with the idea of a picture of their daughter wearing her swim suit being a screen saver for a pedophile two states over, careful oversight of what your kids post is in order. Actually, if anyone thinks that it is only kids visiting these sites, they are wrong. There are thousands of registered sex offenders in this country of which too many are in non-compliance. Don’t mislead yourself that plenty aren’t regularly visiting these networking sites to “socialize.” Older adults pose as teenagers and young teens pose as older to gain access to the web sites. Nothing is honest and almost anything goes.
With teens spending almost 15 hours a week online, parents need to maintain strict time management of their kids’ access to their computers. Although not fool proof, screening software can help in controlling their access to some visual trash and hate speech. But being a nosy parent is a critical behavior that could help protect your child from unhealthy imagery and the luring efforts of Internet child predators. Don’t be afraid to look over your kid’s shoulders when they are on-line, “snoop” when they are off-line and ask questions. Have the computer situated in an open family environment. Kids are less likely to be secretive when the computer screen is in view of their family rather than in private in their bedrooms. Consistent open channels of communications are critical for parents and kids. By working together as a team, children and parents can present formable barriers to better protect their families. To learn more about how to keep your children safe while using the Internet, please visit our website at www.e-copp.com.
Lisa M. Owens RN, MBA
Tom Wetzel, suburban police lieutenant
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Irish politician Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797).
Tags: chat, crimes against children, education, email, file attachments, instant message, Internet, Internet safety, online, online education, online safety, safety
