Experts Say All Adults Can Help Keep Kids Safe Online
Columbia, Mo.—International detectives, national news investigations, local law enforcement agencies and Internet service providers are all doing what they can to combat the newest way pedophiles find their victims: on the Internet. At the same time, all of these experts say there are things adults can do at home to keep their children from falling prey to an Internet predator.
Detective Andy Anderson of the Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force works exclusively on cases of sexual enticement, obscenity and child pornography. In 2005 he conducted a study to measure the depth and breadth of the threat to local teens.
"I surveyed approximately 500 teenagers in Columbia and found that 22% of girls and 16% of boys have been asked by someone on the Internet to meet in person," said Anderson. "That's a huge problem, as there are adults out there using the Internet to prey on children."
John Dupuy is the vice president of research and development for Socket, a Missouri-based Internet and telephone service provider.
"Parents have a great deal of control over children's online activities at home, said Dupuy. "But it's also important to know the other places kids get online and to be sure appropriate precautions are taken there as well."
Kids use computers at their grandparents' houses, with aunts and uncles, family friends and even babysitters. Anyone who has a computer that is accessible to children needs to understand the dangers and take steps to provide a safe Internet environment.
"The biggest risk factor for children online is the extent of unrestricted and unsupervised Internet access they have," said Anderson. "Other signs to watch for include minimizing windows when someone enters the room, spending a great deal of time online at night and a change in a child's general demeanor that might signal something is wrong."
Dupuy and Anderson offer the following tips to maximize online safety for children and teens:
Talk to children and teenagers about appropriate online behavior. Set rules as you would with offline behavior. Make it clear they should never give out personal information (name, address, telephone number, school, hangouts, etc.) or meet online friends in person.
Place the computer in a common area in the home, such as a family room, and not in a child's bedroom. This will discourage forbidden and risky activities while online.
Monitor usage of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Let children know in advance you'd like to view their profiles—they're less likely to feel cornered or "busted."
Don't forget about cell phones. Text messaging is increasing in popularity, and adult predators are becoming more innovative at preying on children and teens. Check cell phone bills and text messages for suspicious behavior.
Parents or other caregivers may feel uncomfortable doing so much monitoring of children's Internet usage, especially with teens. But remember, the first duty is to protect kids, even if they feel their privacy is being violated. Adults can talk with kids about why their computer use needs such close observation and that it's not the kids, it's the predators they don't trust. With open communication between adults and children, the Internet can be fun and useful for the entire family.
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