Prevention Works

With Valentine's Day Approaching, Be Safe - Online

Social networking sites have become vastly accepted in today’s generation, leaving traditional networking in the dust for many young people. Social networking sites have been accepted into today’s culture not only because of America’s ever changing innovations in technology but, for their convenience as well. America’s youth have access to these networking sites at their finger tips, literally, with iphones, blackberry’s and other forms of hand held gadgets. According to Brian Solis.com, a site that tracks statistics on young people and their usage of social networking sites, determined that nearly 80,000 young Americans use and maintain a profile on popular sites such as Face book and MySpace. I believe that it is safe to say with St. Valentine’s Day quickly approaching these social networking sites are going to be thriving with young American’s looking for someone to share the special day with.

Although social networking via the internet today is just another norm, it is very important for Americans to take safety measures very seriously. If you’re a parent, it’s more important than ever to monitor your children’s usage of these sites very carefully, not only around the ever so popular Valentine’s ritual many young Americans enjoy celebrating, but at all times.

According to Salisburypost.com, posted on January 16th, 2010, 34 year Seth Hoyt of 375 Lowell St. in Reading, Mass. is being charged with statutory rape of a 14 year old girl who he met online. Investigator says he met up with the young girl at least five times where sexual acts have occurred. The girl’s mother reported Hoyt after he had dropped her off at her house post another meeting between the two. Captain John Sifford of the Rowan County Sheriff’s office said, "Certainly try to be aware of what your child is involved in on the computer and certainly try to monitor their use and monitor what they're doing, if they say they're going to be spending the night with a friend, confirm their story with parents and things of that nature." For more on the story go to: http://www.salisburypost.com/News/011610-cops-statutory-rape-charges

According to Manchester Evening News, a regional newspaper and website, posted on January 28th, 2010, written by John Scheerhout on February 28th, 2009, a father caught his minor daughter performing sexual acts online with a 43 year old man. While web chatting, the man exposed himself to the young girl several times and even convinced her to perform sexual acts on herself so that he could watch. After being arrested the man admitted to having regular contact with the young girl for quite some time. It was reported that girl now is traumatized from the incident and has experienced nightmares ever since. For more on this story go to: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/

Prevention is a key element in these cases. It is vital to your children’s safety to keep watch of what they are doing and who they are communicating with through these social networks. A few great safety tips or protecting your children are as follows…

• Talk to your children; keep an open and honest relationship with them.
• Make sure you create a comfortable environment where your children feel like they can confide in you.
• View your children’s profile pages.
• Create rules on internet usage, and sites.

Follow up on people that are on your children’s friend’s list by using a great site to track registered sex offenders, http://www.familywatchdog.us/ShowMap.asp?frm=0.

For more safety tips go to, http://www.wiredsafety.org/internet101/blogs.html.

Let’s talk safety . . . everyday

The news of VA Tech student Morgan Harrington’s remains being found last week hit me profoundly on a personal level. You will recall that Morgan Harrington went missing Oct. 13 after she attended a Metallica concert in Charlottesville with friends and wound up outside of the arena without her ticket or car keys. She called her friends and said she would find her own way home - that was the last anyone heard from her.

When I first heard that she was missing I thought about how easily that could have been me when I was in college.Not only am I a Virginia Tech graduate but I can remember that when I was a college student I often threw caution to the wind.The college campus always made me feel so safe.I felt so safe in fact that when I was off campus, I didn’t remember to increase my vigilance.I didn’t think about safety precautions or even remember basic guidelines.As a young adult I felt invincible and inherently trusting.I remembered piling into a car with other students, some I knew and some I didn’t, going to concerts and events in neighboring cities and sometimes across state lines.I could easily see how Morgan’s situation could have been a reality for me or my friends at that time.

I also thought about how strange it was that my Mother, a former juvenile corrections officer, stopped talking to me about safety precautions when I went away to college.If only she had known the risks I took, she would have continued to have those conversations that became fewer and far between in the years between high school and college.Maybe those discussions would have deterred me from doing some things but probably wouldn’t have stopped me from doing others.But this line of thought made me ask a question:Why don’t we continue to talk safety continuously to our loved ones?

As a teen and young adult I received more freedom with each growing year.The same is true for today’s teens and young adults.They report that as they grow older their parents do not talk about things like internet safety and tend to stop setting guidelines for their behavior.It seems to me that with more freedom to act on their own, we should look to have more consistent conversations about the personal responsibility that comes attached to this new-found freedom.

By nature of her job and the job that many of our readers do each day, my Mother knew the pitfalls and ills of the world were out there.Why didn’t she think I still needed those helpful reminders to stay safe?Is my experience isolated or do you think this situation is true of most families with older teens and young adults?<

If I’m not alone out there I encourage you to talk to your family members and loved ones about personal safety every so often.Share some tips from NCPC’s personal safety brochures.

Stay alert and tuned into your surroundings wherever you are—at school or the mall, on the street, waiting for a bus or subway, or driving.

If someone tries to rob you, give up your property—don’t give up your life.

Don’t go anywhere with someone you’ve just met.

Do everything you can to keep a stranger from getting into your car or to keep a stranger from forcing you into his or her car.

Trust your instincts. If something or someone makes you uneasy, avoid the person or situation and leave as soon as possible.

Always try to go out with friends.If you get separated from your friends, find a security guard or official store personnel to assist you.