Keeping kids safe in cyberspace
March 26, 2009 – 11:56 AM
“There are people out there searching the Internet looking for children to prey upon,” said Capt. Tom Ring with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. “That’s why we (WCSO) joined in a multi-city undercover cyber crime investigation.”
Most children of all ages have easy access to the Internet.
Cell phones are capable of reaching out to cyberspace, almost every household has Internet for the home computer and if a child is limited in one location, there are alternative ways to go online.
This easy access is the reason law enforcement agencies across Florida work around the clock to flush out predators online.
Investigator Angelique Yates (WSCO) spent hours “chatting” with predators during the undercover operation.
“This is what I’ve been trained to do,” said Yates. “There is a different language online and knowing how to communicate as a potential victim is how Read more
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Child predators stalk online gamers
By Sarah Lucero / KENS5
Game systems such as the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii offer children a whole new world of gaming excitement. Unfortunately, they also offer child predators a new avenue to reach them.
Most videos have sound associated with the game, but the systems also sell additional audio accessories or earpieces on which there is an entirely separate conversation happening.
Brothers Chauncey and AJ Rodriguez like to use the Playstation 3 game system and earpiece. The earpiece allows them to hold conversations with other gamers who are also playing the same game. The brothers say it’s incredible to be involved in conversations with people from all over the world.
“People play online all the time, and there’s more competition,” said AJ, when asked why he prefers playing his favorite games online.
The teens say setting up the communication device is easy.
“Once you find a wireless connection, you go into the game system and go online,” said 16-year-old gamer Mike Spegar.
Spegar prefers to play the Nintendo Wii online because it’s free. He pointed out that Xbox charges a monthly fee of a few dollars. He also says Xbox is more popular with hardcore gamers.
“There are games that appeal to all age levels. There are activities that appeal to all age levels. It’s really just about identifying the right way to Read more
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Kids spend 44 hours a month online
Friday, 20 March 2009
Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
Children spend twice as much time on their internet as their parents think, research has revealed.
Children in the UK admitted to spending a massive 44 hours a month online, said internet security providers Symantec, while parents believed they were only using the internet for 19 hours a month.
| “Parental controls are essential for keeping children safe online” |
However, 93 per cent of UK parents believe that it’s their responsibility to protect their children online, with the number of adults setting parental controls on home computers increasing by 20 per cent since last year.
“Parental controls are essential for keeping children safe online,” said Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director. 54 per cent of parents in the UK now set parental controls on web usage – higher than the global average of Read more
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The Importance of Discussing Internet Safety with Your Teen
Are you a parent? If you are, have you already had the internet safety talk with your child? If you have yet to do so, this is a discussion that you will want to have. Since many teenagers like using social networking websites, online message boards, internet chat rooms, and instant messaging programs, internet safety is a subject that must be discussed.
As nice as it is to hear that you should talk about internet safety and internet use in general with your child, you may be curious as to why it is important that you do so. For your convenience, just a few of the many reasons why you should have the internet safety talk with your child are outlined below.
1 – They May Not Know
How old is your child? If they are just starting to use the internet, they may be unaware of the dangers that lurk on many popular websites, including online chat rooms and Read more
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