The Dangers to children using the Internet.In This ArticleThe Statistics....
Cyber Bulling Explained....
Internet Grooming....
Parents.... Get Educated....
Parents.... Get Involved...
Conclusion....We all know as parents children spend hour's online, researching homework, talking and communicating with friends, this both positive and beneficial. However Inappropriate Web content is as plentiful as online predators and it's up to parents to minimize the danger to their children and teens by getting involved and using the correct tools.A third of children aged 5 to 8 have a personal laptop or computer, one in five have it in their own bedroom, one in four children use their mobile to access the internet.Did you know that children can get internet access on their Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable or an iTouch?The Statistics According to a 2005 survey by the National Children's Home charity and Tesco Mobile of 770 youth between the ages of 11 and 19, many youths are not comfortable telling an authority figure about their cyber-bullying victimization for fear their access to technology will be taken from them.20% of respondents revealed that they had been bullied via electronic means. uwodzenie przez internet for more. Almost three-quarters (73%) stated that they knew the bully. 26% stated that the offender was a stranger. 10% of responders indicated that another person has taken a picture and/or video of them via a cellular phone camera, consequently making them feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or threatened. 14% told a parent or teacher respectively, 28% did not tell anyone while 41% told a friend. Over 30% of UK 12-15 Year olds have faced some kind of Cyber-bullying, according to a recent government study.This 2004 US survey of 1,500 students between (11 to 12 year olds) grades 4-8 reported: 42% of children have been bullied while online. One in four had it happen more than once. 35% of children have been threatened online. Nearly one in five had had it happen more than once. 21% of children have received mean or threatening e-mails or other messages. 58% of children admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once. 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.A 2006 survey by Harris Interactive reported: 43% of U.S. teens experienced some form of cyber-bullying in the past year. (an increase on previous years)Similarly, a Canadian study found: 23% of school children aged 10-14 surveyed had been bullied by e-mail 35% in chat rooms 41% by text messages on their cell phones 41% did not know the identity of the perpetrators.In November, a poll of more than 2,000 young people by the charity Beat-bullying found that 57% had been harassed online while using Windows Live Messenger/MSN   Cyber Bullying Explained.Cyber bullying is the repeated use of information technology, including e-mail, instant messaging, blogs, chat rooms, pagers, cell phones, and gaming systems, to deliberately harass, threaten or intimidate others. Unlike physical bullying, where the victim can walk away, technology now allows for continuous harassment, from any distance, in a variety of ways. While cyber bullying is often done by children who have increasing access to these technologies, it is by no means confined to children.The problem is compounded by the fact that bullies are often anonymous and never have to confront their victims. This makes it difficult to trace the source, and encourages bullies to behave more aggressively than a traditional "physical world" bully. The full scope of cyber bullying is difficult to measure. However, according to a recent survey, 42% of children have been cyber bullied and 35% have been threatened online.Peer approval is very important to children. This means that cyber bullying can have a negative or even destructive emotional effect on victims, ranging from hurt feelings to intense anger. It can also result in significant depression and in the most severe cases has even resulted in suicide.Unfortunately, children rarely report occurrences to an adult. Cyber bullying is accomplished in many ways, including*:• Flaming is a type of online fight. It is an act of sending or posting electronic messages that are deliberately hostile, insulting, mean, angry, vulgar or insulting, to one person or several, either privately or publicly to an online group.• Denigration also known as "dissing," occurs when a person sends or publishes cruel rumours, gossip or untrue statements about a person to intentionally damage the victim's reputation or friendships.• Bash boards are online bulletin boards where people post anything they choose. Generally, the postings are mean, hateful and malicious.• Impersonation can be particularly harmful and occurs when someone pretends to be or poses as another person. This is usually accomplished by breaking into someone's account, by stealing a password and perhaps changing it, or by maliciously using that information provided by a friend (one reason to never give a password to anyone but a trusted adult). Once the impersonator has access to the victim's information, considerable damage can occur. By sending out emails supposedly from the victim or by posting material online, the victim's reputation or friendships can be irreparably harmed.• Outing occurs when someone sends or publishes confidential, private, or embarrassing information, online. Private email messages or images meant for private viewing, is then forwarded to others.• Trickery is when a person purposely tricks another person into divulging secrets, private information or embarrassing information, and publishes that information online.• Exclusion is an indirect method of online bullying, intentionally excluding someone from an online group or community.• Harassment is when the electronic bully repeatedly sends insulting, hurtful, rude, insulting messages.• Online polls ask readers to vote on specific questions, often very hurtful and demeaning, such as "Who is the ugliest person in 8th grade" or "Who do you love to hate?"• Sending malicious code intentionally, to damage or harm the victim's computer.• Images and videos are a rapidly growing concern. Due to the prevalence and accessibility of camera cell phones, photographs and videos of unsuspecting victims, taken in bathrooms, locker rooms or other compromising situations, are being distributed electronically. Some images are emailed to other people, while others are published on video sites such as YouTube.• Griefing involves chronically causing grief to other members of an online community, or rather, intentionally disrupting the immersion of another player in their game play.Internet Grooming. Sometimes the very reason children and teens blog and spend time in social-networking sites is to "meet new friends." So it's not always easy for them to tell when "new friends" have bad intentions, and research consistently shows that about 20% of online children receive unwanted sexual solicitations. "Grooming" is the way sexual predators get from bad intentions to sexual exploitation.Basically, grooming is manipulation. It's the process pedophiles use to get children they target online to meet with them offline, the simple goal being sex. Sometimes it involves flattery, sometimes sympathy; other times offers of gifts, money, or modeling jobs. It can also involve all of the above over extended periods of time. That's why it's called "grooming." Experts say the short-term goal of these manipulators is for the victim to feel loved or just comfortable enough to want to meet them in person, and these people know that sometimes takes time. That's ok, they'd say, because groomers tend to have a lot of patience, and they also tend to "work" a number of targets at once, telling all of them that they are "the only one for me." You can imagine how well that can work with children seeking sympathy, support, or validation online. That's about as general as we can get, because grooming is carefully individualized. Groomers design what they say as they go along, tailoring their flattery or offers as they learn about the victim.Predators and pornography.Sexual predators prowl the Internet, and there's no shortage of Web sites with offensive and inappropriate content. Online victimization of minors can include child grooming requests to engage in sexual activities or discussions by an adult, unwanted exposure to sexual material (email with naked pictures, etc.), and online harassment, threats or other aggressive communications that are not sexual in nature but cause distress, fear or embarrassment.According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), one in five Americans aged ten to seventeen encountered sexual online solicitations during 1999. That was eleven years ago, well before the widespread popularity of blogs, social networking sites, and instant messaging (IM). These days' children are chatting, emailing, and posting personal information and images on Web sites. Regrettably, online predators have become adept at using these technologies to approach children and teens.Online predators aren't the only problem. The same NCMEC study also found that one in four youngsters happened upon inappropriate sexual images while surfing the Web; only about four in ten told a parent about it. Software that attempts to monitor computer activity has seen some popularity with parents concerned about Internet predators & pornography. Many experts recommend an approach that involves talking to and educating children and teens about online safety; Together with effective monitoring software. Monitoring software helps parents insure that their child is behaving in accordance to the parent's instructions. Internet monitoring software also helps if the parents are at work or not around when the child is surfing.Get educated.Parents need to educate themselves about their children's online activities. From IM and chat rooms to blogs and social networking sites, parents need to learn what these technologies do, how they work, and how their children are using them.My personal message to parents and teachers is simple. Embrace the technology that children use; recognize that whatever you may lack in technology knowledge you make up in wisdom. Remember that you, too, were once a kid. Your first reaction to child internet activity that may be a bit disturbing, you shouldn't loose you calm, panic and shut down access but to take a deep breath, talk with (and listen to) the children and do everything you can to encourage a solution that will create more problems. This is one area Internet Monitoring software can help/. By using products like WebWatcher you can monitor & control access to times were supervision may be preferred, or indeed just block websites that are not appropriate. Tailor your family internet access to each individual child with the appropriate restrictions. A 17-year-old is not going to accept the same restrictions as your 7-year-old Become familiar with the technology your children use. That doesn't mean you necessarily have to be their friend on Facebook or MySpace, but you should make sure you understand it.MySpace.com and other social networking sites have become very popular among teens. These Web sites give children a way to share ideas, images, and information about themselves. Many adults use these sites, too, and it's not uncommon to find lurid content on their pages. Moreover, according to a recent MSNBC report, predators have recently begun using these sites to approach and sexually assault young teens. The hosts of these sites put restrictions on content and try to enforce minimum age limits. However, it's simply too difficult to adequately control all the content, given the volume of traffic and information. It's up to parents to get involved and take control.Get involved and take control.Parents need to take positive steps to control how their children use the Internet.• Learn what your children are doing - Ask your children about their favourite online hangouts and who they meet there. Find out if they have a blog, a Web site, an IM account, or email accounts.• Educate your children - Be clear about the kind of personal information your children should not divulge over the Internet, including their names, addresses, and phone numbers. Teach your children what to do if a stranger approaches them online. Monitoring software like WebWatcher will allow you to monitor, chats, emails, website visits, and internet searches so you can keep informed silently. Specifically, tell children to cut off communication with any person they don't know and to notify you immediately.• Set Internet policies - Create family policies for email, IM, blogs, and social networking accounts-including the kinds of programs your children can use. Using WebWatcher will help you control computer/laptop usage by creating computer schedules.• Monitor your children's accounts - Make sure you know who your children are meeting online. Effective Internet Monitoring programs like WebWatcher will help you do this. Match the online identity of every person they communicate with to make sure it's someone you know and trust. Regularly check their friend lists and address books for new and unfamiliar names.• Make the Internet a family activity - Maybe more important than anything else, keep your computers in a central part of the house; that way you can stay involved and keep an eye on what your children are doing. If this is not an available option then WebWatcher Internet Monitor will help you monitor the computers in other rooms, Monitor household PC's and Laptops from work, from anywhere, Visit http://www.mywebwatcher.co.uk to learn more.Conclusion. We as parents must ensure that this virtual world is safe for our children just as we try to ensure that the real world is.Gordon Brown said. "The internet is a wonderful and powerful tool that is changing the way we learn and the way we stay in touch," he added, "but unfortunately there are risks from people intent on exploiting its benefits."Children surf, chat, email, and post personal information online. The Internet is rife with dangers for children and teens, parents need to get educated and get involved. Check this website for more information.
Cyber Bulling Explained....
Internet Grooming....
Parents.... Get Educated....
Parents.... Get Involved...
Conclusion....We all know as parents children spend hour's online, researching homework, talking and communicating with friends, this both positive and beneficial. However Inappropriate Web content is as plentiful as online predators and it's up to parents to minimize the danger to their children and teens by getting involved and using the correct tools.A third of children aged 5 to 8 have a personal laptop or computer, one in five have it in their own bedroom, one in four children use their mobile to access the internet.Did you know that children can get internet access on their Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable or an iTouch?The Statistics According to a 2005 survey by the National Children's Home charity and Tesco Mobile of 770 youth between the ages of 11 and 19, many youths are not comfortable telling an authority figure about their cyber-bullying victimization for fear their access to technology will be taken from them.20% of respondents revealed that they had been bullied via electronic means. uwodzenie przez internet for more. Almost three-quarters (73%) stated that they knew the bully. 26% stated that the offender was a stranger. 10% of responders indicated that another person has taken a picture and/or video of them via a cellular phone camera, consequently making them feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or threatened. 14% told a parent or teacher respectively, 28% did not tell anyone while 41% told a friend. Over 30% of UK 12-15 Year olds have faced some kind of Cyber-bullying, according to a recent government study.This 2004 US survey of 1,500 students between (11 to 12 year olds) grades 4-8 reported: 42% of children have been bullied while online. One in four had it happen more than once. 35% of children have been threatened online. Nearly one in five had had it happen more than once. 21% of children have received mean or threatening e-mails or other messages. 58% of children admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than four out of ten say it has happened more than once. 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.A 2006 survey by Harris Interactive reported: 43% of U.S. teens experienced some form of cyber-bullying in the past year. (an increase on previous years)Similarly, a Canadian study found: 23% of school children aged 10-14 surveyed had been bullied by e-mail 35% in chat rooms 41% by text messages on their cell phones 41% did not know the identity of the perpetrators.In November, a poll of more than 2,000 young people by the charity Beat-bullying found that 57% had been harassed online while using Windows Live Messenger/MSN   Cyber Bullying Explained.Cyber bullying is the repeated use of information technology, including e-mail, instant messaging, blogs, chat rooms, pagers, cell phones, and gaming systems, to deliberately harass, threaten or intimidate others. Unlike physical bullying, where the victim can walk away, technology now allows for continuous harassment, from any distance, in a variety of ways. While cyber bullying is often done by children who have increasing access to these technologies, it is by no means confined to children.The problem is compounded by the fact that bullies are often anonymous and never have to confront their victims. This makes it difficult to trace the source, and encourages bullies to behave more aggressively than a traditional "physical world" bully. The full scope of cyber bullying is difficult to measure. However, according to a recent survey, 42% of children have been cyber bullied and 35% have been threatened online.Peer approval is very important to children. This means that cyber bullying can have a negative or even destructive emotional effect on victims, ranging from hurt feelings to intense anger. It can also result in significant depression and in the most severe cases has even resulted in suicide.Unfortunately, children rarely report occurrences to an adult. Cyber bullying is accomplished in many ways, including*:• Flaming is a type of online fight. It is an act of sending or posting electronic messages that are deliberately hostile, insulting, mean, angry, vulgar or insulting, to one person or several, either privately or publicly to an online group.• Denigration also known as "dissing," occurs when a person sends or publishes cruel rumours, gossip or untrue statements about a person to intentionally damage the victim's reputation or friendships.• Bash boards are online bulletin boards where people post anything they choose. Generally, the postings are mean, hateful and malicious.• Impersonation can be particularly harmful and occurs when someone pretends to be or poses as another person. This is usually accomplished by breaking into someone's account, by stealing a password and perhaps changing it, or by maliciously using that information provided by a friend (one reason to never give a password to anyone but a trusted adult). Once the impersonator has access to the victim's information, considerable damage can occur. By sending out emails supposedly from the victim or by posting material online, the victim's reputation or friendships can be irreparably harmed.• Outing occurs when someone sends or publishes confidential, private, or embarrassing information, online. Private email messages or images meant for private viewing, is then forwarded to others.• Trickery is when a person purposely tricks another person into divulging secrets, private information or embarrassing information, and publishes that information online.• Exclusion is an indirect method of online bullying, intentionally excluding someone from an online group or community.• Harassment is when the electronic bully repeatedly sends insulting, hurtful, rude, insulting messages.• Online polls ask readers to vote on specific questions, often very hurtful and demeaning, such as "Who is the ugliest person in 8th grade" or "Who do you love to hate?"• Sending malicious code intentionally, to damage or harm the victim's computer.• Images and videos are a rapidly growing concern. Due to the prevalence and accessibility of camera cell phones, photographs and videos of unsuspecting victims, taken in bathrooms, locker rooms or other compromising situations, are being distributed electronically. Some images are emailed to other people, while others are published on video sites such as YouTube.• Griefing involves chronically causing grief to other members of an online community, or rather, intentionally disrupting the immersion of another player in their game play.Internet Grooming. Sometimes the very reason children and teens blog and spend time in social-networking sites is to "meet new friends." So it's not always easy for them to tell when "new friends" have bad intentions, and research consistently shows that about 20% of online children receive unwanted sexual solicitations. "Grooming" is the way sexual predators get from bad intentions to sexual exploitation.Basically, grooming is manipulation. It's the process pedophiles use to get children they target online to meet with them offline, the simple goal being sex. Sometimes it involves flattery, sometimes sympathy; other times offers of gifts, money, or modeling jobs. It can also involve all of the above over extended periods of time. That's why it's called "grooming." Experts say the short-term goal of these manipulators is for the victim to feel loved or just comfortable enough to want to meet them in person, and these people know that sometimes takes time. That's ok, they'd say, because groomers tend to have a lot of patience, and they also tend to "work" a number of targets at once, telling all of them that they are "the only one for me." You can imagine how well that can work with children seeking sympathy, support, or validation online. That's about as general as we can get, because grooming is carefully individualized. Groomers design what they say as they go along, tailoring their flattery or offers as they learn about the victim.Predators and pornography.Sexual predators prowl the Internet, and there's no shortage of Web sites with offensive and inappropriate content. Online victimization of minors can include child grooming requests to engage in sexual activities or discussions by an adult, unwanted exposure to sexual material (email with naked pictures, etc.), and online harassment, threats or other aggressive communications that are not sexual in nature but cause distress, fear or embarrassment.According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), one in five Americans aged ten to seventeen encountered sexual online solicitations during 1999. That was eleven years ago, well before the widespread popularity of blogs, social networking sites, and instant messaging (IM). These days' children are chatting, emailing, and posting personal information and images on Web sites. Regrettably, online predators have become adept at using these technologies to approach children and teens.Online predators aren't the only problem. The same NCMEC study also found that one in four youngsters happened upon inappropriate sexual images while surfing the Web; only about four in ten told a parent about it. Software that attempts to monitor computer activity has seen some popularity with parents concerned about Internet predators & pornography. Many experts recommend an approach that involves talking to and educating children and teens about online safety; Together with effective monitoring software. Monitoring software helps parents insure that their child is behaving in accordance to the parent's instructions. Internet monitoring software also helps if the parents are at work or not around when the child is surfing.Get educated.Parents need to educate themselves about their children's online activities. From IM and chat rooms to blogs and social networking sites, parents need to learn what these technologies do, how they work, and how their children are using them.My personal message to parents and teachers is simple. Embrace the technology that children use; recognize that whatever you may lack in technology knowledge you make up in wisdom. Remember that you, too, were once a kid. Your first reaction to child internet activity that may be a bit disturbing, you shouldn't loose you calm, panic and shut down access but to take a deep breath, talk with (and listen to) the children and do everything you can to encourage a solution that will create more problems. This is one area Internet Monitoring software can help/. By using products like WebWatcher you can monitor & control access to times were supervision may be preferred, or indeed just block websites that are not appropriate. Tailor your family internet access to each individual child with the appropriate restrictions. A 17-year-old is not going to accept the same restrictions as your 7-year-old Become familiar with the technology your children use. That doesn't mean you necessarily have to be their friend on Facebook or MySpace, but you should make sure you understand it.MySpace.com and other social networking sites have become very popular among teens. These Web sites give children a way to share ideas, images, and information about themselves. Many adults use these sites, too, and it's not uncommon to find lurid content on their pages. Moreover, according to a recent MSNBC report, predators have recently begun using these sites to approach and sexually assault young teens. The hosts of these sites put restrictions on content and try to enforce minimum age limits. However, it's simply too difficult to adequately control all the content, given the volume of traffic and information. It's up to parents to get involved and take control.Get involved and take control.Parents need to take positive steps to control how their children use the Internet.• Learn what your children are doing - Ask your children about their favourite online hangouts and who they meet there. Find out if they have a blog, a Web site, an IM account, or email accounts.• Educate your children - Be clear about the kind of personal information your children should not divulge over the Internet, including their names, addresses, and phone numbers. Teach your children what to do if a stranger approaches them online. Monitoring software like WebWatcher will allow you to monitor, chats, emails, website visits, and internet searches so you can keep informed silently. Specifically, tell children to cut off communication with any person they don't know and to notify you immediately.• Set Internet policies - Create family policies for email, IM, blogs, and social networking accounts-including the kinds of programs your children can use. Using WebWatcher will help you control computer/laptop usage by creating computer schedules.• Monitor your children's accounts - Make sure you know who your children are meeting online. Effective Internet Monitoring programs like WebWatcher will help you do this. Match the online identity of every person they communicate with to make sure it's someone you know and trust. Regularly check their friend lists and address books for new and unfamiliar names.• Make the Internet a family activity - Maybe more important than anything else, keep your computers in a central part of the house; that way you can stay involved and keep an eye on what your children are doing. If this is not an available option then WebWatcher Internet Monitor will help you monitor the computers in other rooms, Monitor household PC's and Laptops from work, from anywhere, Visit http://www.mywebwatcher.co.uk to learn more.Conclusion. We as parents must ensure that this virtual world is safe for our children just as we try to ensure that the real world is.Gordon Brown said. "The internet is a wonderful and powerful tool that is changing the way we learn and the way we stay in touch," he added, "but unfortunately there are risks from people intent on exploiting its benefits."Children surf, chat, email, and post personal information online. The Internet is rife with dangers for children and teens, parents need to get educated and get involved. Check this website for more information.