The Internet Safety Debate, Continued
In our most recent post, as in previous posts, we address the ever-alarming issue of Internet Safety. What are the tools for parents to help keep their children safe online? How much time spent online is too much? At what age should a child have access to the Internet? These, and many other questions continue to be of great interest to us at Safety4Kids. We feel a tremendous obligation to contribute responsibly to the discussion surrounding this issue. We formed a Task Force to address it; we created SeeMore's Safety Browser, a safe web browser for youngsters which we give away free to parents; we have a public television show, SeeMore's Playhouse, devoted to all manner of safety topics.
And still there is so much more to do. We turned to one of our regular bloggers, Dr. Sheila Josephson, to address a very serious aspect of this very modern problem. Sheila gives her perspective on this issue informed by more than thirty years experience treating patients for whom unsafe childhoods have resulted in challenging adult lives. Here is what Sheila has to say:
Weaving A Dangerous Web.
Now we have one more thing to worry about regarding our children--the Internet and online predators. It used to be that we could feel secure in the knowledge that when our children were on their own watching educational television such as 'Sesame Street" or "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" they were not only learning something educational and interesting but they were safe. Educational television notwithstanding, our main concern then was what our children watched unbeknownst to us. So our responsibility was to carefully choose those shows which taught our children and broadened their minds, and then turn off the TV to read or play games.
However, there were parents or caretakers who put their children in front of the TV for hours on end. They used television as a babysitting service. It was an easy distraction so they didn't have the bother of caring for these children. So some children sat for hours watching indiscriminate shows which contained violence, sex, and myriad other situations which they were too young to understand. This most certainly caused them to become upset and confused. They had a hard time understanding their world and life made little sense. They had nightmares and, for some, their behavior proved difficult to control. They also learned at a very early age that they were a burden to their caretakers. Why else would their days be spent watching inappropriate shows?
The computer age has brought an even greater threat to unsupervised children. There are some children, of course, who use their computers as a wonderful tool for school assignments and research. It becomes an invaluable aid to learning. There are others, however, who have little interest in school work and spend hours surfing the 'Net. Who are the children who are seduced by the Internet? More than likely, they are children who have a history of being neglected and ignored by their caretakers. They can feel alone and unwanted, and they have a sense of being a burden to overworked and overwhelmed parents. Their loneliness can make them long to feel desired and cared for. And this sense of wanting to belong can make them prey to the evil perverts who troll cyberspace looking for lonely and vulnerable youngsters.
Another potential risk to children who feel unwanted is their becoming profoundly depressed. In fact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released a study, published in the "American Journal of Psychiatry", which found "the rate of suicide in Americans ages 10 to 24 increased 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, the largest jump in more than 15 years." (The New York Times, September 7, 2007.) The Times article goes on to suggest that the increased suicide rate may be attributable to a decline in prescriptions of anti-depressant drugs; however, no one knows for sure exactly which factors contributed to these alarming statistics.
What we do know, is that there is a substantial increase in depressed youngsters in this country. I am certainly not suggesting a cause and effect between children's depression and their vulnerability toward Internet predators. However, I am suggesting that a depressed child might look to the Internet for solace, just as years ago that same child might have found comfort in the promises of a stranger lurking about a school yard. In 2007, that school yard is an entire online world, delivered to your desktop or laptop or cell phone; it's designed to feel personal and inviting, and it's open 24/7. Vulnerable children today have options. And a stranger's promise of attention--of "love" and "care"--may lead a child into a dangerous web indeed. Take heed of neglected children--their futures look bleak. We must keep our children close and safe and protect them from the dangers of the world.
(c) Patrick Hermans. Image from BigStockPhoto.com
(c) Nick Stubbs. Image from BigStockPhoto.com
WebMD Topics:
And still there is so much more to do. We turned to one of our regular bloggers, Dr. Sheila Josephson, to address a very serious aspect of this very modern problem. Sheila gives her perspective on this issue informed by more than thirty years experience treating patients for whom unsafe childhoods have resulted in challenging adult lives. Here is what Sheila has to say:
Weaving A Dangerous Web.
Now we have one more thing to worry about regarding our children--the Internet and online predators. It used to be that we could feel secure in the knowledge that when our children were on their own watching educational television such as 'Sesame Street" or "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" they were not only learning something educational and interesting but they were safe. Educational television notwithstanding, our main concern then was what our children watched unbeknownst to us. So our responsibility was to carefully choose those shows which taught our children and broadened their minds, and then turn off the TV to read or play games.However, there were parents or caretakers who put their children in front of the TV for hours on end. They used television as a babysitting service. It was an easy distraction so they didn't have the bother of caring for these children. So some children sat for hours watching indiscriminate shows which contained violence, sex, and myriad other situations which they were too young to understand. This most certainly caused them to become upset and confused. They had a hard time understanding their world and life made little sense. They had nightmares and, for some, their behavior proved difficult to control. They also learned at a very early age that they were a burden to their caretakers. Why else would their days be spent watching inappropriate shows?
The computer age has brought an even greater threat to unsupervised children. There are some children, of course, who use their computers as a wonderful tool for school assignments and research. It becomes an invaluable aid to learning. There are others, however, who have little interest in school work and spend hours surfing the 'Net. Who are the children who are seduced by the Internet? More than likely, they are children who have a history of being neglected and ignored by their caretakers. They can feel alone and unwanted, and they have a sense of being a burden to overworked and overwhelmed parents. Their loneliness can make them long to feel desired and cared for. And this sense of wanting to belong can make them prey to the evil perverts who troll cyberspace looking for lonely and vulnerable youngsters.
Another potential risk to children who feel unwanted is their becoming profoundly depressed. In fact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released a study, published in the "American Journal of Psychiatry", which found "the rate of suicide in Americans ages 10 to 24 increased 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, the largest jump in more than 15 years." (The New York Times, September 7, 2007.) The Times article goes on to suggest that the increased suicide rate may be attributable to a decline in prescriptions of anti-depressant drugs; however, no one knows for sure exactly which factors contributed to these alarming statistics.
What we do know, is that there is a substantial increase in depressed youngsters in this country. I am certainly not suggesting a cause and effect between children's depression and their vulnerability toward Internet predators. However, I am suggesting that a depressed child might look to the Internet for solace, just as years ago that same child might have found comfort in the promises of a stranger lurking about a school yard. In 2007, that school yard is an entire online world, delivered to your desktop or laptop or cell phone; it's designed to feel personal and inviting, and it's open 24/7. Vulnerable children today have options. And a stranger's promise of attention--of "love" and "care"--may lead a child into a dangerous web indeed. Take heed of neglected children--their futures look bleak. We must keep our children close and safe and protect them from the dangers of the world.(c) Patrick Hermans. Image from BigStockPhoto.com
(c) Nick Stubbs. Image from BigStockPhoto.com
WebMD Topics:
4 Comments:
I think this blog is absolutely brilliant, and gets right to the heart of the issue: the way children are being parented and raised.
One rarely sees this as a focus in the media, which tends to look outward to the dangers of the internet (of course, this is a good thing to do as well) as opposed to inward, in terms of why children are so vulnerable to the dangers of the internet in the first place. Children must be paid attention to and listened to and nurtured and loved by their parents. This form of defense cannot be underestimated.
Schools should also be paying attention to this issue, and not let children slip under the radar who are being ignored or teased or ostracized at school. If a child has friends, and teachers who care and pay attention, I would bet that he or she would be less likely to look for friendship and comfort in a potentially dangerous place.
Brava for this insightful and searing and essential blog.
It was very interesting to see your perspective on the issue of child Internet safety, especially since you are someone with so much experience. Not only does this post touch on the fact that children are being victimized online, but it gave me an insight on why some of these children are more vulnerable than others.
You mention that in previous years, neglecting parents used to use "television as a babysitting service". Who does most of the babysitting in neglecting homes now? The Internet? Television? iPods? And which one is the lesser evil? The television and the Internet can both be sources of violence, sex and other junk, but at least the television does not expose children to communication with predators.
You mention that the children who are more likely to be seduced by the Internet are “children who have a history of being neglected and ignored by their caretakers”. However, I was wondering how can one know this? Are there actual statistics on child online victims?
Lastly, you conclude by saying that “We must keep our children close and safe and protect them from the dangers of the world”. But who will keep those children close and safe better than their own parents? And if those children who are most vulnerable to online predators have neglecting parents, what can be done to break the cycle?
Hi,
Thank you for your information regarding online safety.
For the past three years, I have championed online safety education and awareness not only in my local elementary school, but entire Region.
A job was created for me, and the past several years, as Regional Office of Educations Internet Safety Coordinator, I have created and implemented curriculums for 2nd and 3rd graders, developed presentations for parents and educators, formed a team of community leaders to brainstorm said topic, and write a newspaper column on this matter. To get this information out to as many people as possible, I created an educational resource site for parents, teachers and law enforcement.
Getting the word out is critical. We must all work together in a combined effort, in order to keep our children safer online.
If you have a moment, please take a look at my Internet Safety website.
Thanks again for your work!
J Galloway
http://InternetSafetyAdvisor.info
I am publishing the address of this site on my blog. The more people know and help will be better for our children and adults as well. As in the real world we must filtering out what is best for us.
Thanks a lot for this brilliant and useful work
Taz
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