PRunning Head: PROCTECTING CHILDREN ONLINE

Protecting Children Online

Abstract
Protecting children online is becoming an all hands effort. Online predators are the new way for individuals to plan, fantasize, and full fill their needs. Just telling your child to not talk to strangers will not cut it in today’s internet world. Protecting children online takes planning, coaching and internet rules setup to hopefully provide that barrier. Anybody can be anybody behind a computer. Providing this vital information to children could be the one thing that saves that child’s life.

What is a sexual predator online? A sexual predator is better known as pedophile. We have all checked those websites to find out and to see if we have a sex offender living near our homes. How many people have actually checked out the websites children are visiting? The children today are more technological then their parents and the parents need to be aware of the dangers that lurk behind every computer.
The most common means by which sexual predators contact children over the Internet is through chat rooms, instant messages and email. In fact, 89% of sexual solicitations were made in either chat rooms or instant messages and 1 in 5 youth (ages 10-17 years) has been sexually solicited online (JAMA, 2001). Considering that 25% of kids online participate in real time chat and 13 million use instant messaging, the risks of such children, either knowingly or unknowingly, interacting with a predator is alarming. (Sexual Predators Online)
The internet is a playground for sexual predators and the children are the toys. Adults have the responsibility to educate, console and protect the children from these dangers that face them every day on the internet. Predators disguise themselves as children in these environments and children need to be prepared with the tools to see behind the screenname or email address. The numbers stated are an eye opener for any adult that has the responsibility to protect children. If a child becomes secluded, closed off, and distant after being online these could be the first signs of a predator at work. In any chat room on any site there could be a sexual predator hiding behind any screenname. The numbers don’t lie in the aspect of the shear odds of a predator being in a chat room, sending instant message or email to a child that is related to someone. That idea of a predator being in a scenario with a child you know makes adults realize the real danger that is out there today. Online dating, friends, social media, and pornographic websites can be a resource tool a predator uses to contact children.
Sex offenders have contacted children via most of the major on-line services and the Internet. The most important factors in keeping your child safe on-line are the utilization of appropriate blocking software and/or parental controls, along with open, honest discussions with your child, monitoring his/her on-line activity, and following the tips in this pamphlet. (FBI Cyber Division)
All children, especially adolescents are interested and curious about their own sexuality and explicit material. They have that natural instinct to rebel and to hide things from their parents. This need to be rebellious from their parents opens that door for a predator to strike for any online service. These predators will prey on children that are the easiest to manipulated and closed off from their support system. On these services children can be the ones seeking out the predator and not even know they are opening themselves up to being a victim.
The FBI Cyber Division stated “children on-line are at the greatest risk during the evening hours. While offenders are on-line around the clock, most work during the day and spend their evenings on-line trying to locate and lure children or seeking pornography.” Do you know any children that spend hours online after dinner away from everyone? This type of behavior could be a sign of them accessing chat rooms or pornographic material. Children today have smart phones and tablets that provide that instant access to the internet. This inherently makes it harder for guardians or parents to monitor and restrict. Guardians and parents have the right to access their children’s devices to make sure they are providing that layer of protecting that is needed in today’s global society. Does every school, community, city, state, federal agency and official do their appointed responsibility to protect they people they serve? The answer of course is no, however are the local schools doing their part to educate and protect the children while they are at school. Is your local school Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) certified? Under the Children’s Internet Protection Act “schools that are subject to CIPA have two additional certification requirements: 1) their Internet safety policies must include monitoring the online activities of minors; and 2) as required by the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, they must provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response.” If the children are educated at school and provide guidance at home these are the building blocks in protecting children from sexual online predators.
Children and adults are curious it is human nature; however children need to be protected against these individuals that would prey on them. There is no quick fix, just in life, but there are processes and steps. Guardians and parents can take these suggestions to limit the opportunities sexual predators might have with any child. Local schools, communities, state and federal agencies and officials would like to protect every child from a dangerous scenario however that is just not possible. There are numerous child pornographic and sexual behavior laws that are designed to protect and punish those that violate them. The adults that have the responsibility of children need to act in advance of these state and federal laws to prevent the child from being a victim. Having laws are required but guardians and parents need to be aware of the dangers that can occur on their child’s computer, smart phone, and tablet.
Conclusion
Sexual predators are no longer confined to just a community. In today’s technological world they can be just a click away, which makes the threat even more dangerous. The Children’s Internet Protection Act is just one tool in the box. The guardians and parents need to be aware and have the knowledge to use the tools that are available to protect their children. The FBI and other agencies have provided guides and information to educate both adults and children about sexual predators. One of the main keys is to be able to know that child to pick up on signs that they might be in the grasp of a sexual predator. The internet is full of people hiding behind something; make sure your child knows the signs to pull back that curtain.

References
Children’s Internet Protection Act. (2000) Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act
FBI Cyber Division. A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide
Protecting Children in Cyberspace. Sexual Predators Online. Retrieved from http://protectkids.com/dangers/onlinepred.htm