District Attorney Ashley Wright returned Monday night to her alma mater, Episcopal Day School, bringing a message to parents about the dangers of the Internet.
Wright warned what children might be exposed to online through social networking sites and chat rooms and on their cell phones. She said that because such communication is second nature to children "they don't know there may be a predator on the other end."
Wright said children can be bullied or threatened on social sites. She said there have even been online contests ranking "the ugliest kid in your grade" or "the most unpopular girl."
She said stalking also can occur, and children can fall prey to a pedophile. The most dangerous online venue, she said, seems to be chat rooms.
Besides online versions, children can access phone chat rooms by dialing a 1-800 or 1-900 number. A key warning in an online chat room, she said, is WTGP -- which stands for Want To Go Private?
"Any time someone wants to go private, you should be suspect," she said.
Wright told parents they should begin talking to their children and setting parameters as soon as they start using any electronic device. Parents also should have access to all passwords, conduct periodic checks and make sure a child's user name doesn't contain any reference such as "hot" or "sexy."
As for cell phones, she said there's something called "sexting," which involves a child sending or receiving a picture of a minor who is naked or semi-naked.
"This is rampant behavior," she said, noting that such pictures have been passed around at the high school level locally. Wright said such explicit pictures of anyone under 18 are illegal.
Wright also told parents to examine their cell phone bills to see what time their child is communicating: "If they're using them at 3 o'clock in the morning, that's not good."
Until our children graduated from high school, all their home computing took place in a family area, with no headphones except when watching movies and videos. And they knew we did spot checks on everything.
We had to listen to a lot of amazingly silly conversations and some really annoying music. It generated a lot of conversation and debates among us, which almost certainly made it easier for them to tell us when something weird or uncomfortable happened. Although they wouldn't admit it until much later, they actually were relieved to have us know what was going on in their lives and who they were relating to.
There's no way to over-emphasize the importance of parental or trustedworthy adult involvement in a child's daily life, even when they don't appear to want or appreciate it at all.
True 'Dat Ashley, good for you in educating the parents and the children.
Good going Ashley AND Fiat!!! I did exactly the same with my son when he was under 18. It works! All parents should patrol their children's web useage. And just like Fiat, my son did not enjoy me checking up on him and setting tight parameters when he was underage, but now he is appreciative of it and plans to do the same when the day comes that he has children. We, as parents, MUST do all we can to protect our children from predators of any kind.
Parents must also be vigilant against other parents. Try posting on the Chronicle as a liberal and see what wrath rains down upon you.
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