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Guest column

Keeping children safe from Internet predators

By JEFFREY J. DAWSY
Published April 30, 2006

Picture this: Your teenage daughter spends an inordinate amount of time locked away in her bedroom, working on her computer. You're happy that she's using her brain and spending time at home, but still, you worry that maybe she's chatting with some unsavory character or viewing unsolicited, sexually explicit images. What's a parent to do?

An active member of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office has a full-time detective devoted to monitoring computer crimes that target children, plus a full-time digital media specialist whose duties include computer forensic analysis.

Today's children are growing up in an age of Mach-speed technology that includes the World Wide Web. These days, e-mails, chat rooms, text messages and instant-messaging services are the newest ways that kids communicate with one another. Young people have even developed their own language, using code words and acronyms to convey their thoughts. MSN Messenger, AOL, AIM, Yahoo and MySpace are instant messenger/chat services commonly found on kids' computers today.

Yes, the Internet is an extraordinary tool for learning and communicating, but parents should always be mindful of the dangers children face online.

Anyone unaware of these perils needs only be reminded of the recent spate of high-profile arrests, including that of U.S. Department of Homeland Security deputy press secretary Brian Doyle, on charges of using a computer to seduce a child (actually, an undercover detective).

In 2005 alone, the Sheriff's Office arrested seven individuals on charges related to Internet crimes against children. So far this year, two arrests have been made, with more anticipated.

Children are becoming the victims of online predators at an alarming rate. The most commonplace Internet dangers include child enticement, pedophilia and stalking. Via the Internet, unsuspecting children are aggressively solicited for sex and freely given pornography to view. Girls and older teens are most at risk, especially those who routinely visit chat rooms or use instant messaging.

Know that online predators are very good at what they do. They use charm, mystery, gifts, lures and deceit to gain the trust and compliance of their underage victims.

As far back as 2002, the Sheriff's Office started working closely with the Citrus County School Board to ensure that youngsters and their families learn about the dangers associated with the Internet and how to surf the Web safely. The goal of the cyber safety program developed by the Sheriff's Office is to give all Citrus County third-graders a fundamental knowledge of how to avoid becoming a victim of Internet crime.

Using the curriculum developed by i-SAFE, a leader in Internet safety education, the Sheriff's Office also has created a more advanced program for middle and high school students. An adult program also is available to help educate parents about the dangers children face online.

In addition, the emphasis on early intervention continues with Child Lures Prevention, a program taught by school resource officers to all third-graders as well. Among other lessons, youngsters learn about the common lures used by online predators and how to evade them. Online safety tools like filters, monitors and browsers also can help parents safeguard their children.

The Sheriff's Office advocates many ways to aid parents in keeping children safe online. Most importantly, parents should have a reasonable understanding of how computers work and what their capabilities are. They should control the passwords their children use. Home computers should be kept out of children's bedrooms and placed instead in common areas, such as kitchens or dens. Parents should know about any other computers (say, those in libraries or friends' homes) their children may be accessing.

Furthermore, children should never complete a profile in a chat room or any other online place without a parent or guardian present. Children should never share their personal information (name, address, telephone number, school, photo or hobbies) online with anyone they don't know personally.

In short, parents should monitor closely their children's online activity and time spent there.

Jeff Dawsy has served as sheriff of Citrus County since January 1997.

To schedule a cyber safety presentation or to learn more, please call Lt. Dave DeCarlo at 726-4488, ext. 295.

[Last modified April 30, 2006, 00:58:16]