In this Internet age, kids are easily susceptible to digital predators

In recent years, we have seen more young people who are being accessed by sexual predators via the Internet. These young people “develop a relationship” with the predator, and are then sexually assaulted when they agree to meet in person. That awareness correlates with new research about Internet usage and its dangers to young people.

A Justice Department study of youths aged 10-17 from 1999 through 2006 revealed that 91 percent have home Internet access, half use the Internet 5-7 days a week, and 23 percent are online for more than two hours at a time. More than one in three youths have had unwanted exposure to sexual material in the past year via the Internet.

One in seven report they have been sexually solicited online, and 75 percent of aggressive solicitors asked to meet the child in person. More than half of the children who received a sexual solicitation chose not to tell anyone about it.

The state of Maine made laptop computers available to middle school children, but has not made a concerted effort to educate these young people about safe use of the Internet or the dangers posed by online predators. Clearly, this education is imperative given the widespread use of the internet for social networking.

Web sites such as MySpace, unsecured Internet chat rooms, and instant messaging have created venues where sexual predators can learn about young people, and then use that information to engage them in some kind of interaction. Sexual predators can pretend to be anyone they want to engage young people in “relationships,” which is really a grooming process to gain the trust of the young person.

Unwary young people put incredible amounts of personally identifying information online. They post profiles on instant messenger services, have personal pages on MySpace and other social networking sites, and they readily, if unwittingly, give identifying information to strangers in chat rooms.

A predator paying close attention to what the child is saying can typically learn where the child lives, where they go to school, what they do for fun and what their real name is within 45 minutes of beginning a conversation. By the time the predator asks for a meeting, the young person is totally trusting and ready to meet their new “friend.” These meetings can result in a sexual assault.

It is incumbent on parents to learn how to protect their children from these dangers.

Parents should keep the computer in the living area of the home where a child’s activity can be observed. Organize your computer with distinct user profiles so that each family member has their own user name. This allows regulation of online access for individual family members and tracking each user’s internet activity.

Parents should check the browser history and Temporary Internet Files to see what web sites are being accessed, and can use filters to block access to inappropriate Web sites. Information about how to set these controls are available by consulting the browser’s help files, or at www. netsmartz.org or www.getnetwise.org..

Most important, parents need to open lines of communication with their children about Internet usage. Parents need to educate their children about the kinds of strategies used by online predators. They must make sure their children are cautious about divulging any personal information online and that they recognize the dangers of doing so.

They should encourage their child to tell them if they receive sexually explicit content, or any sexual solicitation. And they can insist that their child not meet an “online friend” in person without the presence of a trusted adult.

Parents should also know signs their child might be engaged in dangerous online behavior. The child may become withdrawn from family and friends, spending more and more time alone and online. He/she may turn off the screen or quickly close a site when the parent enters the room.

Parents may find pornography on their computer (the presence of child pornography should be immediately reported to the police – do not delete the files). Parents may notice their phone bill contains unknown numbers, or their child may receive mail, gifts or packages from an unknown source. If parents suspect that a face to face meeting has been arranged, they should contact their local police.

The Internet is an important part of our everyday lives and can be a valuable resource. And, with care and caution, and a little help from their parents, young people can navigate the online world in safety.

Marty McIntyre is executive director of the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Auburn.