The internet is a wonderful learning tool. I am a sponge when it comes to the internet, I soak up more useful and useless information online, oh if they had this when I was a kid...
I've been online since 1996, I had Windows 3.1 and AOL 3.0 with a 28K Modem. The computer sat in the living room where anyone could walk by and see what was on the screen. My 13 yr old daughter (actually step-daughter) used go online and chat, once she called me over to the screen and showed me a IM (Instant Message) I forget what it said, but I sat down and typed back "Hi! I'm the Mother" Poof the other person was gone. This happened twice with her. In 1999 I had someone IM me asking me my age, I said "old enough to be your mother" usually when this happens they disappear, this time I was asked if I had a daughter so I played along and didn't like where the conversation was leading. I finished talking with the weirdo, copied and saved it then contacted the NY State Police (I was living in Upstate NY at the time) and discovered they had a Computer Crimes Division, I was somewhat surprised but contacted them and told them of the strange conversation. They had me send them the text and said they will put this person on their AOL buddy list and keep an eye on him/her. I was really surprised that they had a buddy list and AOL but apparently the NY State Police had it together and was on the ball. Now we hear of it happening all of the time. Dateline's To Catch A Predator Series, does a great job hunting these predators down and taking them away. Read here about teens giving away too much information about themselves online.
Teens have run away to .. OTHER COUNTRIES to be with people they meet online. (Remember the young girl that asked her parents for a passport to go to Canada and instead went to somewhere in the Middle East because she met a young man online and wanted to marry him?) Some parents just don't have a clue as to what happens on the internet. Not only is the internet a wonderful learning tool, it's a very dangerous place. Sexual Predators find the internet a wonderful place to hide, they can lie about everything while befriending your child. They are patient, they will wait for months until they have your child's full trust, then, they will want to meet your child. Don't just take my word for it, go to Perverted-justice.com, but I will warn you, you will get physically ill reading the IM's and posts on there, the site's purpose is to catch online predators and get them convicted. Here are links to sites to help you KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE ONLINE.
I hope you find this useful and please don't be afraid of prying into your childs online world, you're parents always knew what you were up to didn't they?
Lysa
Partnership aims to protect children from online predators, cyber-bullies
Childrens Online Protection Program
Stay Safe Online Great site for YOU and your child
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