INTERNET PREDATORS
ARE YOUR CHILDREN SAFE?
Today we live in a whole new world; a world where we are super connected to all ends of the earth with cell phones, computers and the internet. That world brings an amazing array of resources and opportunities, but it also brings hidden dangers. These new dangers leave us confused as to the new boundaries or safety. The rules used to be clear - look both ways, don't talk to strangers, and be home by curfew. Today's kids can talk to strangers and share personal pictures, videos and intimate conversations from the confines of their own home. When kids are not even safe in their own homes, what can we possibly do to help them?
If we are to help our children use the internet properly and safely then we need to be aware of the risks. Everywhere we look we see a staggering number of concerns for our children and their online safety. Congress has held special hearings on the matter, businesses are trying to form special tools for online tracking and safety, and many of us may have seen the media alerts to the subject, including the Dateline series, To Catch a Predator. Here the media works with law enforcement to set up undercover operations that seek out predators. They set up a face to face after weeks of online chatting and come to the child's home believing the parents are away - only to find police officers there with chat transcripts and handcuffs.
The numbers are scary. There are hundreds of operations like this going on all around the country, and the people who are seeking to victimize your children have come from all walks of life. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, and even police officers have been arrested by Computer Crime Units - many here at the Jersey Shore have already been arrested by our fairly new units. The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office informs us that nationwide 1 in 3 children are approached by online predators. And in 2004, Money Magazine reported the Monmouth/Ocean region as one of the top 5 "most wired" regions of the country reflecting internet connections and usage based as a percentage of our total population. These two facts make us extremely vulnerable.
Over the last 18-24 months the country has seen the rise of a new phenomenon, web sites that allow users to create their own personal profile pages for free and link them to friends and others on a network. MySpace.com has become the fastest growing internet site in the history of the world and is currently the second busiest web destination ahead of Amazon, Google, and eBay. Out of the 112 million users who have profiles, their largest percentage of users is in the 14-24 year old demographic. Other sites have sprung up just as fast that have teens flocking to them, including Xanga, Live Journal, and Facebook.
Detective Ed Finlay with the Computer Crimes Unit of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said "MySpace with the intermediate and high school kids is our biggest problem." In a recent presentation he cited cases in which kids were sexually abused and murdered after meeting someone on MySpace and similar sites. Lt. Mike Nevil with the Computer Crimes Unit of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said, "...our experiences in Ocean County have revealed numerous sexual predators have utilized this site to post feelings of depression which have resulted in suicides. It is important to monitor your children's activity to insure the information they are posting on the internet is not a detriment to their health or well being."
There is a perception of anonymity that allows children to feel they are safe online and to post personal information, pictures, and open dialogues with unknown users. This same perception allows predators to feel emboldened. They set up false profiles and lure young children in new ways. An FBI safety bulletin notes, it is extremely possible that people online may not be exactly who they say they are. Someone who says that "she" is a "14 year old girl" could very easily be an older man.
As parents we have to communicate with our kids. While the issue of computers and technology may feel outside our comfort zones, we need to learn the lingo and the methods that our youth utilize to engage with the rest of the world. To assist you with understanding some basics of online safety we have provided some tips for parents and kids. Additionally, both Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and Ocean County Prosecutor's Office offer web sites with more information. Engage yourselves and learn what you need to in order to keep your children safe in this new world.
PARENT TIPS FOR KID'S INTERNET SAFETY
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Communicate and talk to your child about sexual victimization and potential online danger.
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Spend time with your children online. Have them teach you about their favorite online destinations.
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Keep the computer in a common room, not in your child's bedroom. It is much more difficult for a computer sex offender to communicate with a child when the computer screen is visible to other members of the household.
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Always maintain access to your child's online accounts. Randomly check his/her email. Be up front about your access and reasons why.
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Utilize a program to monitor and track your child's internet activities such as
Spector Pro, CyberPatrol or Net Nanny.
Tips provided by the FBI Computer Crimes Unit, Internet Safety Bulletin and the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office-Spring 2006 Net Notes.