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Kids Are Easy Victims

Most children know more about the Internet than their parents do. This knowledge gap keeps parents in the dark about their kids’ online activities. As shown in the statistics below, parental supervision in cyberspace is dangerously lax:

  • Twenty percent of parents do not monitor their children’s use of the Internet at all.

  • Only 52 percent of parents moderately supervise their children’s Internet use.

  • An estimated 62 percent of teens report that their parents know little or nothing about their Web activities.

  • Seventy-one percent of all parents stop monitoring their child’s use of the Internet after the child turns 14, not knowing that 72 percent of all Internet-related missing children are 15 years of age or older.

Internet predators take advantage of the lack of responsible adult supervision of children using the Internet.

Source: http://da.co.la.ca.us/pok/pokpredators.htm

What Can Parents Do?

  • Make a list of computer and Internet rules for your home, with input from your children. Post these where the computer is located.

  • Place your home computer in a high traffic area such as the living room or the kitchen. Don't allow your child to be in a secluded place with a computer that is equipped with the Internet

  • If there is no adult supervision, (for example right after school, if both parents work) do not allow the children access to the Internet. Homework requiring the use of the Internet (which is rare) can wait until there is adult supervision.

  • Insist on access to their email accounts and instant message accounts or chat lines.

  • Equip your computer with chaperoning software. Spector Pro is a good one, and is also used in the business world to ensure that employees follow computer protocol rules. Be Net Safe is another popular Internet Chaperone.

  • Talk to your kids about their computer activities, just as you would about anything else in their lives.

  • Be informed about what developmentally they will be interested in or participating in.
    You may be interested in this profile of Canadian grade 8 and 9 students.

  • Know what your children are posting on sites such as My Space, Xanga, Nexopia and other friend networking sites. Ask frequently to see their list of "friends" and confirm that you know who these people are. Verify that you approve of what they are posting for others to view. Remember - www means World Wide Web and everything posted becomes public domain.

11- to 13-year-olds:


  • feel in control when it comes to technology
  • are intrigued by subcultures beyond the world of their parents
  • lack the critical thinking skills to judge the accuracy of online information
  • accept entertainment and games uncritically
  • are vulnerable to online marketers who encourage them to give out personal information through surveys, contests and registration forms
  • are at a sensitive time in their sexual development; particularly boys, who may look for porn sites at this age
  • are interested in building relationships (especially girls) with online acquaintances
  • may be bullied or they may be bullying others online

14- to 17-Year-olds:


  • are more critical and selective in their media interests and activities
  • are more likely to receive unwanted sexual comments online
  • receive the highest percentage of pornographic spam
  • are interested in building relationships with online acquaintances (especially true of girls)
  • are more likely to be asked for a real-life meeting by an online acquaintance and more apt to accept
  • are still vulnerable to online marketers who encourage them to give out personal information through surveys, contests and registration forms
  • (boys in particular) may look for porn sites
  • may be bullied or be bullying others online
  • are more likely to use credit cards online
  • may be experimenting with online gambling

Source: Be Web Aware
 
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