According to researches 90% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 use computers and 75% percent of 14-17 year olds as well as 65% of 10-13 year olds use the Internet. Your children may use the internet either for educational reasons (e.x. find information for school papers) as long as most of the schools now offer free access to the net for their students or for fun (play online or arcade games and chat).This fact brings us to a question: Is the internet a safe place for your children?

Being online can pose hazards to your children. Children can come across pornographic images or even be victims of online sex offenders. According to the University of New Hampshire 42% of Internet users aged 10 to 17 have been exposed to online pornography and of those, 66% said they did not want to view those images.

What about online sex offenders?

Internet predators can be of any age or gender but they determined to dedicate much time and money to “seduce” your children. Pedophiles can easily manipulate your children because they follow the trends; they know your kids’ interests and hobbies, they listen to the same music with an under-age. They are willing to do anything to gain your children’s trust. Gradually, they try to diminish your children conscience by showing them pornographic images or by putting sexual content in their discussions. Finally they may try to reach your children in person and molest them. Internet stalkers usually collect pornographic images of the children they molest no only for personal reason but also to blackmail children. They use those images as a threat. They might threaten children that the photos will be published in order to keep them from telling their parents about the crime that has been committed. Because child pornography is an internet crime against children. And children are ashamed to be seen by their parents in pornographic images.

Is there any evidence that your children are victims or possible victims of cyber stalkers?

Some signs that your children are possible victims of internet crimes according to researches are:

1. Your children spend a lot of time online, especially at nights. Child molesters usually act at nights because they work during the day.
2. You find pornographic material in your children’s computer. If the computer is used by the whole family, your children might keep pornographic images in disks.
3. Your children close down their computer or change the site they are reading as soon as you enter in their room. Kids feel guilty when they are watching pornographic material so their first reaction is close down their computer to avoid getting caught.
4. Your children receive gifts from people you don’t know. Child molesters are willing to spend money to send your child a personal gift to show that they care.
5. Your kids receive calls form strangers or make calls in numbers you don’t know. Pedophiles will try to talk to your children on the phone sooner or later. Even if the child hesitates to give a phone number, online sex offenders have a solution. Some of them have free numbers so children might reach them any time with no charge or they can use call ID to identify children’s number and call them back.
6. Your children step away from their family. Internet predators will do anything to make your children keep a distance from you. The crime is that they can manipulate your children by making every little problem that may rise in any family to a big deal. They will try to patronize them and to gain their trust.

What should you do to protect your children from cyber stalkers?

1. Education is the key word. Talk to your children. Explain them the internet hazards. Make sure they will understand what internet crimes are and how someone could hurt them.
2. Always check your children’s computer as well as anything your children keep into their rooms and might contain pornographic material (like disks, Cd, Dvd, flash or usb)
3. Create an email account together with your children so as to know the password. Check your children’s e mails and explain them why you should do that.
4. Be informed about the places where your children may connect to the Internet. They might be a friend’s house or school’s library. Find out what safety programmes they use.
5. Spend time with your children. Let them show you their favourite sites that they visit often. Create a bond of trust.
6. Teach your children how to use the Internet properly. There are far more to discover than chat rooms.
7. Use a parental control software program that records everything your children are doing when they are connected to the net. You may also be able to control the time your children spend online and block sites with dangerous content.
8. Use call ID. This way you will know all the calls that have been made in your phone number.
9. Make sure you give your children the following advices:
• They should never arrange a face to face meeting with people they meet over the net.
• They should not download anything from unknown sources.
• They should never give their picture, their name, their address or phone number to people they don’t know.
• They shouldn’t believe anything they are told by online “friends” or everything they hear in the net.
• They should never reply to messages that contain pornographic content.

So, that was pretty much everything you should know about Internet and crimes against children and education. In order to protect your children from being internet predators’ victims you need to follow two rules: education and control.

Remember: if your children are victims or possible victims is by no means their fault. Child molesters must take all the responsibly of their criminal acts.