The Internet is an everyday part of our lives. Most of us use it to check the news, shop, pay bills or keep in touch. Kids especially surf the Web for school, to keep up with friends, for gaming and to track the latest trends, whether they’re on a smartphone or computer.
Connecting online can open new worlds, but using the Internet also has risks. Pedophiles use computer bulletin boards to lure children and adolescents for sex and sexually oriented conversations, developing or “grooming” a relationship with a child. In order to protect children, the Assembly passed stringent laws that target sexual predators. It’s also important for families to pay attention to how their children use the Web and be aware of the hazards kids may face online.
This pamphlet highlights some of the potential dangers and offers tips on how to ensure your children stay safe while using the Internet. If I can be of further assistance in this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Sincerely,
Steven Cymbrowitz
Member of Assembly
Room 627, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
cymbros@assembly.state.ny.us
Authorities have become increasingly aware of pedophiles that use computer bulletin boards aimed at youths to engage children and teens in sexually oriented conversations, attempting to entice unsuspecting kids into their lurid world. In the most serious cases, the pedophile will try to arrange a meeting with the victim. But even when this doesn’t occur, these deviants invite or con victims into graphic, self-revealing conversations and other actions, while posing as a friend.
To prevent predators from victimizing children on the Internet, the Assembly passed laws that:
Ban communications that use sexually explicit images and language to solicit children on the Internet (Ch. 600 of 1996, Ch. 8 of 2007); and
Regulate sex offenders’ use of the Internet (the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act or e-STOP) (Ch. 67 of 2008) by:
requiring all sex offenders who must register under Megan’s Law to register their Internet accounts with the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)
notifying the DCJS within 10 days if that data changes
making sex offenders’ Internet information available to social networking websites who are authorized to prescreen or remove offenders and advise law enforcement if there is a potential violation of the law or a threat to public safety
While New York State law punishes abusers and brings them to justice, you must remember that parents are always their children’s first line of defense.
If you have a computer connected to an online service, or if your child has wireless access or uses a hookup at the home of a friend or relative, warn your child about the dangers of trusting a stranger he or she meets in cyberspace. Just because a person appears to be a friendly pen pal your child’s age, it doesn’t mean that’s who’s on the other end of the connection.
Warn your child to tell you about any message that makes him or her uncomfortable. You should also warn your child never to give personal information such as his or her address, phone number or school to someone online. And be aware yourself. Adults can also be victims. There are numerous police warnings of scam artists working the Internet, offering pyramid and get-rich schemes, phony stock deals and other con games.
In a 2005 national poll of 1,468 U.S. teens and tweens, ages 8-18, The Polly Klaas® Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to finding missing children and preventing their abduction, found that youths frequently take risks with their personal information online, communicating with people they don’t know. In addition, significantly more teenage girls than boys share personal information online and get questioned aboutsex.
Further, the U.S. Department of Justice 2010 report to Congress noted that Internet and digital technology advances have provided fertile ground for child pornography offenders to share, produce, advertise and sell child pornography.
If your children are communicating with people they’ve never met using instant messaging, email or a chat room, they can be in jeopardy. Letting your kids know you care and what precautions they should take to protect themselves can save a lot of heartache. The following guidelines may help:
Suggest that your children restrict access to their profile to those on their contact lists
Recommend the use of gender neutral screen names, providing no clues to identity or location
Urge kids to use privacy settings on their social networking sites, to prevent surfing by strangers
Know the social networking sites your kids use and who they contact online
Suggest they block instant messaging senders they don’t know, communicating only with people they know or that you approve
Tell your children to think before they type to lessen the chance of sending a rude or hurtful message
Make sure they know the ripple effect of using webcams and posting photos online, cautioning that they only upload photos and videos that won’t embarrass them or their friends, or jeopardize their reputation. Remind them that once images are posted, they will no longer have control over their use and where they will wind up. Taking a few minutes to think of the repercussions may save them trouble later on
Parents be aware
Your child may be receiving inappropriate messages or materials via a computer modem or online service. The following are several potential danger signs:
Your child begins to spend unusual amounts of time online, especially at night
The computer suddenly and repeatedly goes dark when you enter the room, as though your child were hiding something
Your child seems reluctant to discuss the messages he or she has been receiving
For more information
CyperTipline, the congressionally mandated, online reporting tool for child sexual exploitation: www.cybertipline.com
NetSmartz411 is an Internet safety help desk for answers to parents’ and guardians’ questions about computers: www.NetSmartz411.org, 888-NETS411 (6387411)
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: www.missingkids.com, 800-8435678
The Polly Klaas® Foundation, a national nonprofit helping to find missing children and prevent abduction: www.pollyklaas.org, 800-587-4357
Local Police Department:
60th Precinct 718-946-3311
61st Precinct 718-627-6611
66th Precinct 718-851-5611
70th Precinct 718-851-5511