Keeping Kids Safe
Sites like these are cyber secrets that teenagers and “tweens” keep from
tech-challenged parents who are not computer savvy. The sites create a world
where the kids next door can play any role they want, but the freedom of
internet sites like these comes with a price. Even the smartest children may not
realize that everyone with Internet access, including sexual predators, may see
the pictures and personal information they post.
Social Networking Sites have become extremely popular among teens and young
adults who post profiles, photos and blogs—often chock-full of revealing
personal details--for the world (including predators) to see. Sergeant Brian
Donnelly of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office has seen the dangers of sites
like these and reports that "Predators are window-shopping on sites like MySpace."
To keep children safe, Donnelly “discourages people from posting any identifying
information.” He warns that “young teens often list the school they attend,
which could lead a predator right to her door."
Internet predators almost always are older men who correspond extensively with
victims (75% of them young teenage girls) before meeting them. But simply
telling kids not to post personal information and to refrain from meeting
strangers may not be enough. Donnelly says that “parents should teach teens that
relationships with adults are both illegal and doomed for failure.”
Parents must focus on Internet safety. Although Internet sex crimes represent
only 1% to 2% of all sex crimes against children, the danger is real and is
likely growing because of the Internet's increasing popularity, says Linda
Davis, Director of Greenville Rape Crisis. “The Internet is an important and
fabulous place for many reasons,” says Linda Brees, Manager, Safe Kids Upstate,
“but we need to protect this fabulous place and try to keep it safe. Just like
New York, we still want to be able to visit the Internet even though some places
are dangerous. We just need to be able to keep our families away from the
dangerous parts."
Not only is the Internet growing in popularity, but social networking sites are
some of the fastest growing sites. MySpace.com is now the third most-viewed
Website, generating more daily hits than Google, eBay, AOL and Hotmail. Up to
160,000 new members join the site every day, according to MySpace.com. It’s
free, easy to join, and easy to message its members. Kids chat about everything
from school, to sports, to fundraisers for Katrina victims. It all seems like
innocent fun, and it can be. But many parents and teens are unaware there are
hidden dangers.
Teens love showing off their MySpace profiles to their friends and even to
friends of their friends. If children are posting information on a public
website that now has more than 43 million members, should it also be OK for
parents to look at their child’s profile? Many teens think that prying parental
eyes should not be allowed on the site and compare this to a parent reading a
child’s diary or listening in on private phone conversations. However, Safe Kids
Upstate thinks that it is necessary for parents to view these sites to ensure
that their kids are staying safe on social networking websites. Parents need to
keep an eye on the photos, journal entries and messages on their child’s MySpace
page and should worry about their kids making inappropriate postings and about
online predators who might target the vulnerability of children.
When Safe Kids Upstate surfed MySpace, we found scenes of binge drinking,
apparent drug use, teens posing in underwear, and other members simulating sex
and even having it. We also found pages that were less provocative, but
potentially more dangerous. On many pages, teens listed not only their names and
addresses, but even cell phone numbers and after school schedules. Even kids who
don’t list their name and address can provide enough personal information— such
as the kinds of bands and boys they love— for a pedophile to con their way into
their lives.
Teens have a hard time recognizing the dangers; to them, it seems like they are
simply talking to a computer monitor. However, in the last month, authorities
have charged at least three men with sexually assaulting teenagers they found
through MySpace.com and just this week, police found a missing 15-year-old girl
who investigators say was sexually assaulted by a 26-year-old man she met
through the site. MySpace members are now warning each other about the danger of
sharing information online. Hopefully the teenagers will begin to see the
dangers, but it will also always be a parent’s responsibility to protect our
children from this danger just as we would with other dangers.
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