Internet Safety for Kids: Seven Signs Your Child May be at Risk, by SixWise.com
Internet safety for kids is a fast-growing problem, as sexual predators are finding increasingly savvy ways to lure our kids. Learn their top tactics to lure kids, and the seven signs your child may already be at risk.
(PRWEB) March 8, 2005 -- While the Internet instantly provides kids a world
of information, experiences, friends, and enjoyment, it can also expose them to
immediate and very serious dangers from online predators.
To ensure your
child stays safe on the Internet, read the following crucial Internet safety
points and, appropriate to your child’s age, be sure to share the insights and
cautions with them.
The Risk of Online Sex Offenders:
The Federal
Bureau of Investigation’s "A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety" notes that
individuals who use the Internet to sexually exploit children:
• Seduce kids
with kindness, trust and even gifts
• Empathize with kids’ problems
•
Relate to children’s hobbies, music and interests
• Lure children into sexual
conversations by sharing pornographic photos or comments
• Can be any age or
sex
• Use chat rooms or instant messengers to contact kids, and may
ultimately try to contact them via phone or meet in person
Why are
Children at Risk?
Children, and particularly teens, may be curious about sex
and interested in rebelling against their parents’ control. They may also like
the attention or feel that the person is validating their opinions, a tactic
used intentionally by such offenders.
Seven Sign Your Child May be at
Risk:
Being an informed parent is the best way to protect your kids online.
If you notice any of these behaviors or signs in your child, don’t look the
other way -- talk with your child about their Internet usage immediately:
1.
Your child spends large amounts of time online, particularly at night. Most
children who are victimized spend a lot of time on the Internet, in chat rooms.
They are most vulnerable at night when sex offenders are most likely to seek out
victims (although it can occur at anytime of day).
2. You find
pornography on the computer. Sex offenders often send pornographic material to
children as a way of opening conversations about the topic.
3. Your child
receives phone calls from strangers, or makes unusual long-distance phone calls.
Most offenders will attempt to contact the child by phone sooner or
later.
4. Your child receives packages or letters from strangers. Sex
offenders will often attempt to send your child gifts and personal letters. Some
have even sent plane tickets asking the child to visit.
5. Your child
turns the computer monitor off when you come in the room. A child talking with a
sex offender will most likely try to keep it secret from you.
6. Your
child becomes withdrawn. Sex offenders prey on children by severing them from
their families emotionally. They often over-emphasize minor problems children
have with their families as a way of doing so.
7. Your child uses an
Internet account belonging to someone else. If you don’t subscribe to the
Internet, you child may have been given an account name by an offender while
using a friend’s computer.
What to do if you Suspect Your Child is Being
Victimized Online:
The FBI offers several important tips to protect your
child from this dangerous situation:
• Talk with your child openly about the
dangers of Internet use and your expectations for them while online.
• Review
your child’s computer periodically for visited Web site and/or pornographic
material. Even if you are a computer neophyte, it is worth learning how to
review the sites they’ve visited and the images they have downloaded. You are
not "prying" – you are being a responsible parent.
• Monitor your child’s use
of online chat rooms and other electronic forms of communication like pagers and
cell phones.
• Invest in the CallerID feature on your home telephone, and
request detailed billing from cell phone carriers if your child has a cell
phone, to track who is calling your child
Minimize Your Child's
Risk:
Finally, there are ways to protect your child and minimize their
chances of being victimized. After all, the Internet is an excellent tool that
can broaden your child’s horizons in a positive way, provided it’s used in a
safe manner.
• Discuss potential Internet dangers with your child
•
Spend time with your child online
• Keep the computer in a common room (not
the child’s room)
• Use parental controls provided by service providers to
block questionable material and Web sites (internet service providers like AOL
and NetZero, as well as major search engines like Yahoo, have a variety of
parental controls available at no cost)
• Instruct your child never to give
out their name, phone number, address or photo to someone they meet online
•
Maintain access to your child’s Internet account and check his/her e-mail
occasionally
• Teach your child that there’s more to the Internet than chat
rooms, and spend time exploring educational Web sites together
Important: If you are a parent, read “The Parent’s Guide to Internet
Safety” — compiled by the FBI and prepared from actual investigations with child
victims — that will help you keep your kids safe on the Internet. Access the
full report now at http://www.sixwise.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=52
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/3/prweb215381.htm