Paedophiles: understanding the threat
 
There has been a lot of publicity about paedophile activity on the net, and many parents worry about letting their children go online. The web makes it easier for paedophiles to build trust with and even contact children, so it's important you understand where and when your child might be vulnerable.
 
  • The main area for concern is chat rooms, so it would be a good idea if you explored a few chat rooms yourself and familiarise yourself with how they work. (Sometimes they seem to be written is some kind of code, so this guide at www.parentscentre.gov.uk/ might prove useful).
  • The problem with the web is that there's no way of being sure that people are who they say they are and paedophiles are known to pretend to be children in order to gain their trust. It is vital that kids know that not everyone on the net is actually who they claim to be. Make sure that they know never to give personal details in chat rooms or let people they have met in chat rooms contact them by phone or instant messaging Once a paedophile has made contact via a chat room, they start to persuade them to start instant messaging, texting or talking on the phone. This sort of activity is called 'grooming' and is punishable by law. The most important thing you can do is tell your child never to give out their real name, address, mobile number or school details. Anonymity is the best defence.
  • You may choose not to let your child enter chat rooms that aren't moderated by a suitable adult (ISPs like AOL, for example, employ people to supervise their chat rooms)
  • Sign up for a chat room yourself. This way you will learn how they work and get to know the different ways kids can chat. For example, along with public chat rooms there are also private areas where you can have one-to-one conversations. You should discourage your child from doing this. There is also Instant Messenger, a program that allows people to make immediate, real time contact with their 'friends' while they are surfing other sites. You should also learn to use Instant Messenger.
  • It's important to remind yourself that the internet isn't crawling with paedophiles: you don't need to panic, you just need to be sensible.
 
Checklist
  1. Never allow kids to give out information which will let people they don't know contact them offline. However, there are times when it is appropriate to supply an email or real address. You need to use common sense about when it is OK, but tell your children to always check with you first.
  2. If they have given their email address to a stranger, don't be too hard on them or they won't tell you next time but try to make sure they know never to do it again, and monitor any messages they get. It is a simple matter to block emails from unwanted message-senders.
  3. Restrict online activity to moderated chatrooms which are designed for kids. Keep to age-relevant and moderated chat rooms.
  4. Learn the language of chat using our guide so you understand what your child is chatting about.
  5. Show the same interest in your child's online friends as their real life friends. Chat is a new arena in which children have to be aware that not everyone is to be trusted.
  6. Let your children know that they can tell you if any chat makes them feel uncomfortable, worried or scared. You need to let them know that you won't blame them.
  7. If you have any problems, tell the moderator and contact the ISP of the site hosting the chat room.
  8. If you suspect a paedophile may be grooming your child, or your child is being stalked or harassed, you should contact the police