Children vulnerable to online predators

By Lynsi Musselman

Even in a pandemic, online predators exploit the vulnerabilities of children.

Nancy Smith Elementary School counselor Susie Beard said parents have to pay attention and put safeguards in place. There are several programs with parental control filters.

“Parents are the main line of defense,” Beard said. “Kids can be unaware or are curious and click on the wrong thing.” 

Enough Is Enough, is a non-profit online organization designed to make the internet safer for children and families.

According to their research, kids at home using technology for schoolwork and entertainment during the COVID-19 crisis have a need more than ever to follow safety measure implemented by parents or guardians.

Children are no match for deceptive marketing tactics to entice children to view pornography. There are pedophiles and sexual predators constantly seeking vulnerable youth to manipulate and groom online.

Statistics from EIE report that 40 percent of kids in grades fourth through eighth connect online with a stranger. 

Resource Care counselor Mylinda Thomas, LPC warns that people online are not always who they say they are. They can also be extremely persuasive.

“Predators are aware more children are home with computers in their hands,” Thomas said.

EIE urges the implementation of five proactive steps to mitigate online harm to children.

The first step is to review safety rules and software tools. The use of parental control is never a substitute for daily parental supervision. It is essential to implement both safety tools and software rules on all internet enabled devices.

The second step is to set up parental controls. Many service providers and gaming devices provide these tools free of charge. At a minimum, parents should set age appropriate filters, set monitoring tools so they can see what their kids are doing, and set parent approved buddy gaming lists so their children are only able to communicate with people they have pre-approved.

The third step is to build an atmosphere of trust and communicate regularly. Establish an ongoing dialogue and spend time online with children. Engage with them about what they are doing, what they are posting, and who they are communicating with. It is important that the parent be the safe person they come to when they run into dangers.

The fourth step is to teach children to avoid sharing personal information and communicating with strangers online. Remind children to think before they post. There are no take-backs online. Make sure teens and pre-teens are using privacy settings on all social media and gaming platforms.

The fifth step is to establish internet use rules. Have children sign the youth pledge. Parents can tailor the pledge to meet the specific needs of their family. This promotes active learning and builds trust.

Parents and guardians can visit enough.org to learn more information to combat online dangers.