After watching "To Catch A Predator", my questions is...what needs to be done to protect our children?

Question

What is wrong with these people? Why are they just out there running wild...what is the solution?

Answer 1

I agree that the internet is exacerbating this problem, but I don't think banning chatting, etc., is necessarily the best way. For instance, if a child wants to talk online to a friend from class, I don't really see anything wrong with that. Most instant messaging programs have settings that allow you to prevent people you don't know from sending you messages, as well. I would be much more cautious about message boards and chat rooms, however.

There are two main points that I see as being important concerning the online world. One is to teach children from a young age that just because a person says something online does not make it true. We already teach our children not to get into a car with a stranger, not to accept candy from strangers, etc. We need to also be teaching them that the people online are strangers, too. I personally don't think a child should be talking to strangers online until they're old enough to have some ability to use their own judgment and caution about trusting others. At the same time, this IS an important skill to develop, and so it's important for parents to discuss with kids to be careful, and then to monitor what their kids are doing very carefully.

I think perhaps a bigger issue, though, is teaching children to be VERY cautious about the type of information they put out about themselves. Oftentimes a person thinks that if they don't give their address or full name they're safe, however it's not as hard to find someone as you might think. If a child gives out details about their school, the name of a teacher, the town they live in, etc., a person can use this information to track down who the child is.

I think one thing that people tend to forget online, and something that we need to actively teach children, is that ANYONE can see the things we write online. Millions of people can access it with just a few clicks. There can be a false sense of security, especially on a message board or somewhere that you may have a group of friends. We say things to our friends easily that we would not want to broadcast to the world, and we need to teach children not to fall into this false sense of security. I think we should talk to our children about ways to safeguard their own identities as well, and this goes beyond just saying, "Don't give out your name and address."

While I think keeping younger children away from certain aspects of the internet is a good thing, these are skills that we need to develop because they are just as important to have when we're adults. The best time to develop these skills is when you have a parent or someone there to monitor you and help you.

Answer 2

We need to teach our children at a very young age what is right and what is wrong.

Children don't need to know all the graphic details at a young age, but they need to know that to meet a strange person, to go anywhere with someone they don't know, to talk to any adult for more than a few minutes without a parent's permission is simply dangerous.

I have taught the basics to my children, starting at about age 20 months. The seven year old now knows enough, I hope and pray, that she could keep herself safe.

The predators ... well, let us just keep having these shows and put their pictures in the newspapers. Put their faces up on billboards near schools so that everyone, especially children, learn their faces and names and learn to stay far away from the creeps.

Answer 3

These people are mentally ill and they are criminals. They need to be dealt with harshly by the law. However, we cannot control the actions of other people. Parents need to protect their own children. Watch what your kids are doing online. It is easy to go into the computer and check their chat history.

Kids do not need computers in their rooms. I don't care what size house one has, the computer should be out in the open. Time spent on the internet should be limited.

It does not matter how old your kids are, reming them frequently of the danger of the internet.

Answer 4

Parents shouldn't allow their kids to "chat" online. That would eliminate the threat immediately. Kids didn't need to chat 10yrs ago, and they can live without it today.