When it comes to protecting your child against internet predators, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanine Jones says it’s best to be ‘armed with information.?
That’s why she visited Oxford Middle School last Thursday night to give a prosecutor’s perspective on internet safety.
Although the turn-out for the event was very minimal, the parents that did attend left with some very valuable information.
Jones was Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor for five years before becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney. She is assigned to the General Crimes Unit, which handles bank robberies, gun and drug offenses, alien smuggling, assault cases, international parental kidnapping and child pornography.
She has been prosecuting pornography cases for two years and is a member of the Team of 7 ? a sub-unit responsible for prosecuting child pornography and child exploitation cases within the Eastern District of Michigan.
‘My hope is by the end of the presentation, at the very least, you’ll feel inspired to have comprehensive conversations with your children about their activity online,? she said.
According to Jones? statistics, more than 30 million children in the United States use the internet. The use of social networking sites, such as MySpace or Facebook, increases those statistics daily.
Although the internet can be a wonderful resource for some, Jones said it can turn into a very dangerous tool when placed in the wrong hands.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1 in 4 children have been exposed to sexually explicit pictures while online, 1 in 5 have received sexual solicitation and 1 in 33 received an aggressive sexual solicitation where they wanted to meet in person.
‘We always encourage our teenagers not to talk to strangers,? Jones said. ‘But 54 percent of teens online have instant messaged a stranger.?
Instant messaging is a form of real-time e-mail, where two individuals can talk back and forth on their computer and get an immediate response.
Jones said the biggest target for child predators on the internet is chat rooms and websites like MySpace and Facebook.
‘At any given time there are thousands of child predators on MySpace,? she said.
To prevent children from attracting the eye of a predator online, Jones said it’s important for parents to tell their children not to under any circumstances post personal information online.
The Assistant U.S. Attorney specified one case she was involved in where a man was posing as a model recruiter and was able to obtain names, ages, and even the residency of various girls online.
The man told the girls to use a web camera to take nude pictures for him and threatened to kill their parents if they didn’t.
‘A savvy child predator can figure out your child’s habits, their routines and what they look like based on their personal information,? Jones said.
Jones also told parents that even if their children aren’t allowed to use the computer for internet at home, they will find another way to ? whether it be at a friend’s house or at school.
So what can parents do to help protect their children from these dangers on the internet? Communication.
According to Jones, only 25 percent of children tell their parents when they are solicited online.
‘These statistics show the need for open communication between parents and children,? she said. ‘It has a huge impact on prosecution when children lie or don’t come forth about what happened.?
Jones said it’s also important to set rules for children when it comes to using the internet, such as setting a time limit and what websites they can visit.
Computer software such as NetNanny, CYBERsitter and CyberPatrol can help parents monitor their child’s activity online.
Tim Throne, Director of Technology for Oxford Schools, also attended the meeting Thursday night to assure parents that their child’s access to certain websites while at school is severely restricted due to firewalls and filters.
Throne also said every e-mail students send while at school comes across his desk and that sometimes it can be very ‘interesting? to read.
If he comes across a threatening e-mail, he personally talks to the student(s) involved and asks them to read the e-mail outloud to him.
‘In the seven years I’ve worked here, I’ve not had one kid who could do it,? he said. ‘Most of the time they look at me and they can’t even say the first word.?
He believes students don’t have a problem sending harassing or mean e-mails because there’s not an immediate emotional feedback associated with it like talking face to face.
‘The point I’m trying to make is kids do not think what they type is what they’re saying,? he said. ‘They think it’s some type of language where there’s no repercussions.?
For more information on how to keep your child safe on the internet, visit www.cybertipline.com. To learn how Oxford Schools are keeping your kids safe online, visit www.oakland.k12.mi.us/technology.