Predators in Cyberland: How to Keep Your Kids Safe From Internet Predators
Most people would agree that the Internet is a fun and convenient resource for making new friends and learning new things. As technology advances, so does the accessibility of the Internet. People can now surf the Internet through cell phones, laptops, and Palm Pilots. The Internet is everywhere, from libraries, Internet cafes, and school campuses across the United States.
While the Internet has made shopping, communication, and research easier, it has also made the world much more technically complex. Software companies spend millions of dollars trying to protect users from hackers, predators, and scammers. Unfortunately, these companies seem to be one step behind the cyber criminals who are very clever and skilled in exploiting them. These criminals do not lurk in alleys or bars; instead, they roam the information superhighway and prey on the vulnerable. Internet predators come from various types of social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. Internet predators are very difficult to spot because most of them do not appear threatening and some even have very prestigious occupations. A great example of this is Senator Mark Foley, who used the Internet to take advantage of the teenagers who worked in the White House.
Many adults know very little about the online world. Most children end up teaching their parents how to use the Internet. The internet is being taught to kids in middle school, which is generally a good idea, but it can create some problems, like kids having more
technical expertise than their parents and teachers. The average teenager knows more about configuring, downloading and installing programs than his tutors. Parents often feel that they cannot learn computer skills, so their children are often left to handle the
computer. Both parents and children are in a bad situation because parents do not know how to use the computer and children lack the experience and maturity to make sound decisions about online safety. Parents often underestimate the dangers lurking online, and sadly, our children are paying the price for it. At any given time, there are 50,000 child predators online looking for their next victim. These criminals use websites like Myspace, AOL, and Yahoo to facilitate communication with unsuspecting children. The best way to keep children safe is through education, supervision, and the installation of software to protect them from online predators.
When most people think of the word “predator,” they think of a lion or bear, because these animals hunt prey that is weaker and smaller than themselves. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a predator is defined as: “One who victimizes, loots, or destroys, especially for his own benefit.” Internet predators behave this way because they target children who are weaker emotionally, intellectually, and physically and then exploit them for their own sexual gratification. Pedophiles no longer have to haunt playgrounds or toy stores; instead, they can access the Internet and within seconds locate an unassuming child. Parents have a hard time protecting their children from threats they themselves cannot see. Internet predators pose a much greater challenge for parents and children because the Internet is everywhere.
It is a well known fact that many children know more about how to operate a computer than their parents. Children usually start learning basic computer skills from elementary school. The first step in keeping children safe is for parents to educate themselves about the dangers online. Parents can do this by watching television, reading the newspaper, or talking to the local police department. Parents must also have basic computer skills, such as learning to operate the computer, use the Internet, download and install programs. Many colleges and vocational institutions offer inexpensive computer classes. Parents can also get help from neighbors or friends who are computer savvy. So parents need to educate their children about the dangers online because
according to the FBI, one in five children will be solicited by an online pedophile. When children understand the dangers that exist online, they are less likely to become victims. Most parents spend time telling their children about the dangers of talking to strangers, and this same principle should apply online as well.
Learning to use the computer is an essential step in keeping children safe, but parents must also understand who they are protecting their children from and how they operate. Most online predators make contact with children through chat rooms, forums, and instant messages. Online predators often visit local chat rooms. These predators keep up with local trends such as popular music, television, and hobbies. Online predators often spend a great deal of time, energy, and even income getting to know their victim. Some predators try to gain the trust of victims by sympathizing with their problems, and then gradually introduce sexually explicit material to their targets. This process is often referred to as “priming.”
Now that we understand how the predator works, we need to understand what kind of youngsters are most likely to become victims. According to bewebaware.com, “teens who are new to online activity, actively seeking affection or attention, curious about their sexuality, or attracted to a subculture other than their parents’ world are more likely to become victims.” . This makes sense because this is the time when teenagers discover who they are and where they belong. This makes them an even more attractive target for pedophiles, because teens are open to suggestions. Parents can counteract this by talking to their children about online threats and
Keep the lines of communication open. Education is the most important tool because, like the Internet, it can be accessed from anywhere.
Most parents would never consider allowing a stranger into their home and spending unsupervised time with their children. The Internet should not be treated any differently. Supervision in this context includes monitoring the computer when children are online and setting rules for computer use. Parents should try to accompany their children online and watch the websites they visit. This is especially true for children who are new to the Internet. If a parent is comfortable with their child being online, they can make sure the computer is located in a common area of the house. Computers with Internet access should never be placed in a child’s room. It is much more difficult for a predator to form a relationship when the monitor is visible to the parent at all times. Parents should also set some guidelines for their children’s Internet use. Most of the guidelines are common sense, like telling kids not to open emails or instant messages from people they don’t know. Parents should also instruct their children on which chat rooms they can visit and who they communicate with in these rooms.
I advise parents to go into the chat room and monitor the traffic several different times before letting a child talk unsupervised. Daniel Armagh suggests that it’s also a good idea for young children to share an email account with their parents, because the parents will know exactly what’s going on via email. Parents may want to give older children their own email address, which is fine only if the parent knows the password and monitors all incoming and outgoing communications. Parents should also have rules regarding meeting people on the Internet. These rules must be strictly applied. One of those rules is that if a meeting is held, one of the parents must be present. According to Andi Atwater, “Households that have a rule about meeting online acquaintances (which 74 percent of households do) cut the likelihood of this happening in half. There are other things parents can do, like choose a gender-neutral display name that does not contain sexually suggestive words or reveal personal information.
Good examples of gender neutral screen names are Scorpio343, Gametime747 or logic372. Avoid screen names that have words like girl, boy, princess, prince, Barbie, flower, or numbers that can indicate age, zip code, or area code. Also avoid screen names that feature the school’s mascot or logo. Children should never have their profile picture in a chat room. Since the Internet can be accessed from virtually anywhere, it is unreasonable to expect parents to be able to monitor their children’s surfing while at school or at friends’ houses. However, parents can find out what kind of safeguards these places have in place to keep children safe. The Internet is a great place for children to explore and a great resource for children to learn new things, play games and communicate with their friends and parents need to surf the Internet with their children.
The third and final security measure that parents can take is to install software such as parental control software. Parental control software is a type of program that can be installed on a computer that limits the places a child can visit online. Some parental control programs can even monitor all incoming and outgoing communications. This means that it keeps track of every email, instant message, and website your child sends or receives. This software is usually easy to install and use. Taking these measures will ensure the safety of children on the Internet.