|
Have you ever stopped to think about how safe the chat room
your child is using is? If it happens to be AOL, MSN, or
something similar, your child is in an open environment where
anyone can enter and pretend to be anyone they choose.
An NBC television ‘Dateline’ hidden camera investigation on 24
September 2004, revealed that predators were actively engaged in
luring teenagers into meetings for the purpose of having sex.
Many were specifically looking for children who were underage.
With help from “Perverted Justice”, an online vigilante group,
volunteers posing as underage children went into chat rooms and
before very long, were engaged in conversation with these men,
who were eager to gather personal information – including
addresses. Some suggested visiting inappropriate web sites. One
man, a firefighter, used a webcam to video while sexually
stimulating himself – then verified that the “child” could see
what he was doing.
During the two days ‘Dateline’ undertook their investigation, a
steady stream of male visitors went to the address given by the
“child”, in the hopes of having sex with her. Instead, they
found themselves face to face with a television reporter and
camera crew.
Since chat rooms are a way of life for many, it’s important for
them to find ways of eliminating the risks while still being
able to use these useful tools. Simply trying to filter out
undesirables isn’t enough – some will invariably get through.
And these may be the most dangerous -- and clever – because they
know how to avoid detection.
As responsible adults and concerned parents, we decided to
address the problems of user safety and security when
communicating on the Internet and built a web site that provides
a safe and secure environment for ourselves and our children.
That web site is www.Ntouch4Families.com.
The web site puts you in charge of your online environment where
only those who are members of your family or circle of friends
can interact with you and your children.
Since you control who is in your 'family hub', you can be sure
that there will be no inappropriate advertising or viruses sent
to either you or your children, or that people who are not known
to you are talking to your children when they are online at
www.Ntouch4Families.com.
With the increased mobility of 21st Century living, more and
more people are locating in communities distant from relatives,
due to job requirements or retirement. This is an ideal form of
communication. It’s also perfect for children away at college.
Grandparents have found using this innovative site, with its
wide array of features, a wonderful way to bond with
grandchildren and keep abreast of domestic activities, as well
as a means of leaving a legacy -- in text and pictures -- they
will treasure for generations.
About the author:
Rosalyn Bronstein, for more than 20 years an author and
consultant, has been an advisor to numerous multinational
corporations and international organizations. She can be
contacted at families@ntouch4.info
|