What Are Signs That Your Child May Be At Risk On-Line?

     1.      Your child spends a lot of time on the Internet, especially at night.

 Most children that are involved with sex offenders talk in chat rooms.  They may stay on the Internet after dinner or on the weekends.  Parents should consider monitoring their children’s Internet usage. 

2.      You find pornography on your child’s computer. 

Sex offenders often offer potential victims pornography as a way of opening up a sexual conversation.  Parents should be aware that a child might even hide the pornographic files on floppy disks. 

3.      Your child receives phone calls from strangers or is making long distance phone calls to numbers you do not recognize. 

Most sex offenders want to talk to children over the phone.  They often engage in “phone sex” and want to set up a meeting.  Some computer sex offenders have obtained toll-free 800 numbers, so the victims can call them without the parents finding out.  Others will tell them to call collect. 

4.      Your child receives mail, gifts, or packages from strangers. 

As part of the seduction process, it is common for offenders to send letters, photographs, and all manner of gifts to their potential victims.  They have even been known to send plane tickets in order for the child to meet them. 

5.      Your child becomes withdrawn from the family. 

That is a computer sex offenders objective is to become a wedge between the victim and their family. 

What Should You Do If You Suspect Your Child is Communicating With A Sexual Predator On-Line? 

a)    Consider talking openly with your child.  Explain to them the dangers of computer sex offenders.

b)   Review what is on your child’s computer. 

c)    Use the Caller ID service to see who is calling your child.  (You can also buy devices to show numbers that have been dialed FROM your home.)

d)   Monitor your child’s access to chat rooms, instant messages, and e-mail. 

 Should any of the following situations arise, you should contact the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: 

1.      Your child or anyone in the household has received child pornography

2.      Your child has been sexually solicited by someone who knows that your child is under 18 years of age

3.      Your child has received sexually explicit images from someone that knows your child is under 18. 

If one of these scenarios occurs, turn the computer off in order to preserve any evidence for future law enforcement use. Unless directed to do so by the law enforcement agency, you should not attempt to copy any of the images and/or text found on the computer. 

What Can You Do to Minimize the Chances of an On-Line Exploiter Victimizing Your Child? 

v    Communicate and talk to your child.

v    Spend time with your children on line.

v    Keep the computer in a common room in the house.

v    Utilize parental controls provided by your service provider.

v    Always maintain access to your child’s on line account.

v    Teach your child the responsible use of the Internet.

What is Myspace.com?

Myspace is a website designed to let people have their own webpage.  You have personal profiles in order to find and communicate with old and new friends.  They can add pictures, music, and slideshows, almost anything to their profiles. 

What is good about Myspace.com? 

The primary benefit of Myspace.com is its ability to connect people.  It makes it easy to find old friends and stay in touch with them.  The network also makes it possible to find new friends with similar interests from around the world.   

Another good aspect is that people can design their own page creatively.  You have several different page layouts to pick.  Also, you can choose your own music for your page. 

What is dangerous about Myspace.com? 

Child predators can be on this site and can reach your child through myspace pages.  They often begin relationships with children by lying about their age.  Some teens have been targeted based on what is posted on their page.  If your child is putting personal information on their page, they become more at risk.

What Can Parents Do? 

The good news is Myspace.com is accessible to you also.  You do not have to have an account to look at some of these profiles.  Although, your child can set their page to private mode.  Which you can only see their profile if they have added you as a friend.  In order to see the profiles, not listed as private go to the Browse section and you can find people by name or zip code. 

Myspace.com Terms and Conditions:

http://collect.myspace.com/misc/terms.html?z=1 

Copyright Internet Safety for Parents

http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/internet/myspace.asp