We have all likely heard the cliché that our kids are our most valuable resource, and I personally agree with the premise. The now universal availability of the internet has created an enhanced opportunity for those who wish to do our kids harm. As parents, we all need to try to protect our kids from cyber as well as physical harm.
There are now many online resources available to help us protect our children, ranging from online safety tips, to online directories of convicted pedophiles.
One popular site, www.cybertipline.org (also linked at (www.cybertipline.com), is affiliated with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (www.ncmec.org). Cybertipline has many useful resources to help protect our children from online threats. Cybertipline has a feature “Don’t believe the Type” at tcs.cybertipline.com, where parents and children can learn about the threats of online chats and virtual friendships, which may eventually become face-to-face encounters. Shockingly, this site claims that one in every five children who are online is sexually solicited. This statistic is not so surprising when the anecdotal cases in the news are considered, and as the vulnerability and gullibility of children is sadly acknowledged. There are those who attempt to victimize our children while on line, and the tactics they use are generally well known and consistent. Cybertipline has a useful guide for parents and kids at tcs.cybertipline.com/knowthedangers.htm. Some of the warnings include those that would strike many of us adults as common sense, such as “Never enter any information about yourself without first checking with your parents or guardians.” Also, Cybertipline states, “Just because a web site seems to be OK doesn’t mean it necessarily is what it seems to be. Anyone — including creeps and criminals — can set up their (sic) own web site.”
Chat rooms, as well as instant messaging, are other places that youngsters like to congregate; while the majority of participants are decent people and not a threat, chat rooms and instant messaging circles are also fertile ground for pedophiles and other miscreants to troll for victims. In law enforcement circles, this practice by pedophiles is referred to as “victim acquisition”. At the website tcs.cybertipline.com/knowthedangers2.htm, the Cybertipline warns, “A chatroom is probably the most dangerous area on the Internet. You never know who is in one, so never type anything you wouldn’t say in public.” Even if a chat room is listed as monitored, the monitor cannot typically react quickly enough if improper information is exchanged, and a monitor cannot typically stop participants from going off in a private chat. Another warning is that many participants are not who they claim to be, and blatantly lie about their name, age, and gender. In one of the classes I taught as a law enforcement in-service, police officers in the computer lab all joined a popular teen chat room, posing as kids, making up their own names, ages, and genders. Within minutes, several of the officers were hit upon by other participants, asking them very personal questions, with a few even requesting that potential victims’ pictures be sent via a file transfer utility. Some were asked to meet the person at the other end of the chat, with the food court at the local mall being a popular meeting place. I have firsthand knowledge of a man in his forties who tried to entice someone he thought was a 14 year old girl first to his home, and then to a restaurant at the mall. Instead of the expected child, a deputy sheriff showed up, who had been playing the part of the little girl. Not for this incident, but for an unrelated later incident, this particular perpetrator is now listed on the state’s Megan’s Law website as a registered sex offender. It is imperative that children be absolutely aware of whom they are chatting and “IM’ing” (instant messaging) with, and should be fully cognizant that the person on the other end of that post may not be whom they say they are!
Similar warnings also apply to children using email. Many people on the prowl for victims will often use deceptively descriptive email addresses and user names, like “sweetypie16” implying that the sender is a sweet 16 year old. While possibly being true, it is often the bait used to entice a child into participating in a swap of emails, IMs, or chat messages. Cybertipline is offering, as a public service, a free service for kids to report and forward suspicious emails that make the child feel uncomfortable, and that may be illegal. Cybertipline asks that children should report suspicious emails, or other forms of illegal internet communication, to them at www.cybertipline.com, or call 1-800-843-5678. Cybertipline defines illegal material as “… threats to your life or safety, threats to others, pornographic images of children, and evidence of other crimes. NCMEC will refer this report to the appropriate law-enforcement agency.”
There are many other warnings, links, and other excellent resources on the Cybertipline website.
The internet is an excellent resource, and a valuable adjunct to teaching, learning, and communicating. Children should not be restricted from utilizing this resource because of the risks, but should instead be educated in its risks, and proper and safe use.
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