Your kids are online?

[maximum]

I do not recall who wrote this (link below).....But, it tells a lesson all parents should think about before their kids sit down at the computer alone again. The more they think they trust their kid's online knowledge and safety-savy, the more they need to read this first. The girl in this story was lucky.....Many, each year, world-wide, are not so lucky in the end. It amazes me how many folks say they take care to make their kids safe, even online, just to see the worst happen to those kids because of parents who don't think the worst (you have to think about the worst to prevent the worst).

http://www.nameservice.net/PDF/TheStalker.pdf

 

[JasMate]

Too young

 

[Dan]

That's why you don't tell people where you live on line.. There's no problem with talking to people, but I don't see why she'd give out so much personal information to someone she doesn't know.

 

[Michelle]

My daughter just uses a kids chat site where most of the peeps she chats too live next door or with-in shouting distance of our house

I looked into the site before she signed up and am happy with its security.

Other than that she just uses it for homework information.

Besides ITS MY COMPUTER :hehe:

 

[dnb8]

This story is pretty old:
Her name: Shanon
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13

 

[Dan]

It's also kind of weird that a cop would stalk here....

 

[stscac]

Don't have children as of yet.

-Steve

 

[Humdizzy]

I don't have kids... yet, but if or when I do get kids, every time I use their computer I'll take a quick scan through the history and hopefully they forgot to clear whatever dirty things they're doing. :lol:

Another big problem with younger kids in my area is myspace..... I haven even seen where some people post their cell phone numbers as they think only their friends will be viewing it. I'm not a fan of myspace myself.

I've seen it with my friends, but the thing is they post it in a comment on another friend's site or they post it on their profile but the profile is private. I've never seen someone have their number on their myspace with the profile being public. Sometimes though the profile is private but they have 2000+ friends and I'm pretty sure they don't know all or even half of the people.

 

[TUFKATH]

Here's some advice for you parents.

Your son is going to look at p0rn. End of story. Every teenage guy does. I did. My friends did. I never met anybody that didn't. There's no reason to interfere as it's part of life and it's going to happen sooner or later. Do you really want that awkward conversation anyways?

 

[Barrucadu]

I am WAY too young to have kids (only 15) but if I did;
Firstly (as in, until I trust them) I would probably make the occasional excuse to walk quietly into the computer room and glance at what they were doing while I was in there.
Secondly (after I trust them) I will just let them get on with the computer, if I have a reason to be suspicious that something 'bad' is happening, I may begin monitering again.

 

[maximum]

JasMate - They'll get there...don't rush it :hehe:

Dan - That is the point; kinds tell things thy shouldn't. You aren't seeing things through the naive thinking of a 13-year-old. As to why a cop would stalk her...happens all the time. He's looking for perv's where she was at. If you don't get kids' (victims') attention too, then they vulnerable to the next sicko.

Bill - MySpace is the biggest avenue out there for it. You'd think with the bad press over the last few years becuase of it, that thy would start monitoring better...Goes to show you that greed of the almighty is more important to some some folks then saving kids from such sick characters. MySpace should be embarrassed and ashamed to death, but apparently in the long run it means nothing to them in reality.

mellowmasher - You sure those the only ones in there or they only ones watching? And yes...parents have to remember that the computer, the bills paid for to use it, the house its in, and the rules of that house all belong to the parents, not the kids.

Stanislaw - It was thd idea..Some of the best lessons ever written down are centries old. I assume many had not seen it before. But, yes it is old, as its not some "live" TV event.

Keenen - As adults, we "think" we know folks online...A 13-year old supposed to figure out who is what there then? Most would be suprised how little it takes to track a person down. Its so little info, usually, that it is scary.

Taylor - That is anothr subject all together. But, since you brought it up, I'll answer that. Just becuase just about everyone does it, does that make it right? I'd actually want to have that "akward conversation", to show them that restraint, self-respect, respect for the opposite sex, and control of ones urges and emotions can make the real thing even better in the end..not discounting all the disappointments the former can bring with it, either.

Maximum goes back to his corner and stops rambling :zzz:

 

[Dan]

Dan - That is the point; kinds tell things thy shouldn't. You aren't seeing things through the naive thinking of a 13-year-old. As to why a cop would stalk her...happens all the time. He's looking for perv's where she was at. If you don't get kids' (victims') attention too, then they vulnerable to the next sicko.

You're right; I'm seeing things through the naive thinking of a 15-year-old. I never told anyone my information... I mean I tell people my high school but that's just about it.

It's still weird that a cop would actually follow her and stuff. I understand trying to find the perv's.

 

[maximum]

It's still weird that a cop would actually follow her and stuff. I understand trying to find the perv's.

Yeh, didn't think about your perspective as per your age

It is rare, but those that hunt the kid-hunters down (atleast the really dedicated ones who are good at their "job") do this occassionally. Often when thy have already seen a particular kid give info to a perv, but later on the perv is nowhere to be found. Take the assumtion she may have given this info to no telling how many folks, seeing as she gave it to you...Going to stop her, via parents, helps just as much in many cases as nabbing the perv themselves (and is the next alternative if perv goes into hiding in chats, ect.); as it atleast saves one future victim (and through her telling friends, may save many more).

 

[jargenhunter]

Well as of right now I don't have any kids...

As for my (future) kids, I would let them have their freedom as long as they didn't lie to me lol. As for how I'd know when that happened, I'd check myspace every now and again to make sure they didn't make an account without telling me. And as soon as they seem to be hiding something... well thats what history checking is for.

 

[maximum]

...................as soon as they seem to be hiding something... well thats what history checking is for.

That's what the computer's power cord is for

 

[Barrucadu]

well thats what history checking is for.

Thats what history clearing is for, I managed to discover history/cache/saved addr/cookie clearing at the age of 7, lol

 

[Koopa]

Another big problem with younger kids in my area is myspace..... I haven even seen where some people post their cell phone numbers as they think only their friends will be viewing it. I'm not a fan of myspace myself.

At least MySpace introduced a private profile option though, where you have to be someone's friend to view their profile

 

[jargenhunter]

Thats what history clearing is for, I managed to discover history/cache/saved addr/cookie clearing at the age of 7, lol

lol I was slow figuring that out when I was younger....

Anyway, maybe ill have some monitoring stuff on there or something who knows...

I kinda feel bad for my kids, my parents don't know half the things about computers that I do so I get away with more... but I guess by then my computer knowledge would be archaic in my kid's eyes :P

 

[Keith Allen]

I'm too young to have kids...well not too young to have them, but I don't have any.

It all depends on the kid how I would play it. Some kids have common sense, some don't...

 

[Corky]

Taylor - That is anothr subject all together. But, since you brought it up, I'll answer that. Just becuase just about everyone does it, does that make it right? I'd actually want to have that "akward conversation", to show them that restraint, self-respect, respect for the opposite sex, and control of ones urges and emotions can make the real thing even better in the end..not discounting all the disappointments the former can bring with it, either.

Maximum goes back to his corner and stops rambling :zzz:

I couldn't have put it better myself. As for me, I'm still young and a teenager. I'm 17 and when I do have my kid(s) then he/she will have computer access, and it will definitely be monitored.