Warning: file_get_contents(http://feeds.delicious.com/v2/json/urlinfo/data?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biggtech.com%2Fweb%2Fprotecting-children-in-cyberspace-guide-for-parents-part-1-of-2_339.html) [function.file-get-contents]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.0 999 Unable to process request at this time -- error 999 in /home/content/b/i/g/biggtech/html/wp-content/plugins/digg-digg/dd.class.php on line 699

Update : Visit Protecting Children in Cyberspace – Guide for parents [ Part 2 of 2 ] here  

The internet is irrefutably a double-edged sword. Along with the wealth of knowledge, resources, games and entertainment come along the dangers and risks emanating from the abusive use of technology. An omnipotent, ubiquitous and unregulated communications network demands drastic measures from the government and constant vigilance from parents to protect children. Measures at both the national and individual level must be taken to prevent the internet from becoming a safe haven for criminals and pedophiles alike, and to ensure a safe & healthy online experience for the nation’s children.

 In this two part guide we we will first take a look at what threats and dangers the Internet posses, the idea is to make parents aware of these threats and they should become vigilant. In the second part we will discuss various measures parents, government, social organizations and communities should adopt to counter these threats. This is a must read guide for all parents who want to protect their children online and to do so that they need to know what are the potential dangers of internet. 

Introduction

The Internet – Miracle or Menace?

It was not too long ago when children were considered safe as long as they were within the four walls of their homes. Needless to say, times have changed drastically and what was once a reality has become nothing less than a myth today thanks to the internet. The internet is a new, virtual, reality which has become an integral part of our lives. It has truly revolutionized the way the world works today, whether it is communication, commerce, information sharing or gathering. Conversely, the Internet gives people from any part of the world instant access into our homes and lives. So despite its many positives, there is a very ugly side to the internet as well. It never takes long for pedophiles, perverts and criminals to adapt new technologies for use in harmful or abusive ways. And what makes children and young people so vulnerable is that they are usually the first to take up any new technologies, whether it’s the internet, cell phones, web cameras, digital cameras or the latest online games. Many young people today spend a considerable part of their time online sending instant messages, blogging, sharing music and other materials, communicating via chat rooms, or playing online games. Millions of children today have unsupervised internet access, which puts ALL of them at risk. In this information age, it is our responsibility to make sure that our children will have safe, educational, and entertaining online experiences. The innocence and purity of childhood must be protected at all costs.

The new “Generation Gap”

There was a time when the term “generation gap” was used to describe the differences in the mindsets, attitudes, opinions and behaviors between people belonging to different generations. Of the youth is critical in effectively addressing this issue. Today’s “generation gap” is all about the technology gap that exists between parents and their children. Technology is evolving at a relentless pace, leaving the “not-so-tech-savvy” people to try to catch up in vain. Children of the information age are way ahead of their parents as far as the latest Information & Communication Technologies are concerned. They are often more skilled and informed than their parents and many parents struggle to stay abreast of the latest Internet games, social networking sites etc their children are involved in. Many parents are actually proud of the fact that their children are so computer savvy and that their little wonders know more than they themselves could ever learn in a life time. Woeful ignorance to say the least! The fact that through this technology our children can always stay one step ahead of us is what pedophiles thrive on. This makes the issue one of great concern that needs serious thought. It also means that participation of the youth is critical in effectively addressing this issue.

The Dark Side of the Internet (dangers lurking on internet)

The Curious case of Cyberspace

In order to address this issue, one needs to first understand the dynamics of cyberspace and what makes it unique. Cyberspace comprises the Internet, the World Wide Web and other similar computer networks and systems. It is a virtual space within which people of all ages, genders and backgrounds from all over the world, can interact freely. Therefore, cyberspace is not an empty space but rather a new social environment in which things happen to and between people and where the vulnerabilities and risk factors of the physical world remain in play. Interactions in cyberspace have consequences in the physical world . Children are as vulnerable to harm and violence in cyberspace as they are in the physical world. This means that protecting children in cyberspace is just as important, if not more, as protecting them in the physical world.

Convergence of Technologies

Until recently, entry into cyberspace required access to fixed phone lines and computers. But now, a cell phone and even the latest handheld games consoles provide internet access from anywhere. This makes it even more difficult for parents to supervise their children’s online activities. Top this off with photo and video capabilities enabling transmitting images in real time and you have a nightmare on your hands.

Dangers to Children in Cyberspace

Violence and harms against children and young people in cyberspace include:

• Exposure to materials that can cause psychological harm, lead to physical harm, or facilitate other detriment to a child
• The production, distribution and use of materials depicting child sexual abuse
• Online solicitation or ‘grooming’ (securing a child’s trust in order to draw them into a situation where they may be harmed)
• Harassment and intimidation, including bullying .

 

Pornography & its Harmful Effects

The biggest praise attributed to the internet is the unlimited amount of information made available at the simple click of a mouse. Too much of everything is bad…including information. The internet has creeped up on us so fast and with such impact that it has become almost impossible to ebb the unsolicited flow of obscenity that comes our way. With unrestricted access, any child with a computer and a modem can intentionally or unintentionally access pornographic material in seconds, and once it’s been seen, the pornography can never be entirely erased from the mind. It is very important for people to understand how pornography harms the viewer. According to studies conducted by Dr. Victor Cline of the University of Utah , exposure to pornography results in the following dangerous combination of effects on the viewer:

• Addiction – The desire and need to keep coming back for pornographic images.
• Escalation - The need for more explicit, rougher, and more deviant images for the same sexual effect.
• Desensitization - Material once viewed as shocking or taboo is seen as acceptable or commonplace.
• Acting out - The tendency to perform the behaviors viewed, including exhibitionism, sadistic/masochistic sex, rape, or sex with minor children.

This progressive pattern demonstrates how reality and fantasy become blurred for those who are entangled with pornography or when viewing is no longer enough . Furthermore,pornography commodifies sex. It depicts women as mere objects used for male pleasure and desire. Conversely, men are apparently here to have sex with as many women as possible. Marriage is either a hindrance to their purpose, or irrelevant because fidelity is abnormal and possibly unnatural. Resultantly, pornography devalues women and girls in the eyes of young boys and men. In short, pornography advertises sex without relationships, without commitment, and especially, without consequences. Research shows that pornography is a strong, negative influence affecting attitudes and behavior. It promotes the same attitudes towards women that breed sexual harassment, promiscuity and destroy relationships . Obviously, the harm caused to children is much worse because children usually have less maturity and discernment. They cannot possibly deal wisely with hard-core sexuality. According to psychiatrists, children are simply not ready cognitively to handle such kind of information. They have no means of processing the material intellectually or emotionally. At that time, they will bury the experience in their unconscious, where it will lurk in the shadows haunting them, possibly for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, exposure can hinder a child’s mental and moral development .

Child Pornography

The Convention on the Rights of the Child’s Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography defines child pornography as “… any representation, by whatever means, of a child engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a child, the dominant characteristic of which is depiction for a sexual purpose” . Technologies that enable the sharing of music files and other materials facilitate sex offenders who use them to exchange images of child sexual abuse instead.

Online Solicitation

Chat rooms and instant messenger services are the most commonly used platforms by pedophiles to lure children into face-to-face meetings and then assaulting or molesting them. What makes things so easy for online predators is the complete anonymity that the internet provides them. Young minds are easily deceived. They can never figure out who is typing the alluring words that are playing out in front of their eyes. On various chat sites and messengers, these pedophiles pretend to be youngsters of the same or opposite sex who befriend children and gain their trust in order to try to extract personal information from them. They then use such information to threaten or abuse the child.

Cyber bullying

Another growing area of concern is the alarming rise in cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is any act to defame, humiliate, blemish, damage, degrade, denigrate, smear, malign or disgrace another person through online postings, email, text messages or instant messaging [5]. Cyber bullying can take the place of posted pictures or text on a website (or inserted into an email or instant message) or any electronic form of threat, menace, ridicule or inappropriate verbabe (or images) to offend, denigrate, embarrass or humiliate another person.

The impact of cyber bullying can be devastating and victims can suffer from embarrassment, depression, a sense of worthlessness, and in severe cases can lead to drug or alcohol abuse and even attempted suicide.

Online Games

Broadband internet connections enable kids to play online games for hours on end, which can prove to be just as harmful for them. Not only are they deprived of the chance to interact with other children thereby stunting their social skills, but they will also lead to lesser interest in healthier and intellectually stimulating activities like reading, writing and sports. Furthermore, online games are played by millions of people, children and adults alike, and they provide yet another platform where children and young people will be exposed to potentially harmful interactions with other people online.

Others Dangers of the Internet

When one talks about the dark side of the internet, it is often assumed to be pornography alone. No doubt pornography is the biggest menace, what with millions of pornographic sites and hundreds of thousands of sites involved in child pornography.

Unfortunately however, the dangers of the internet are not limited to just porn. It is sickening to know that there are actually websites out there which teach people how to make bombs and explosives, to grow and process narcotics, to make fake ID’s, to rape, torture and kill and even to commit suicide. There is yet another side to it, a less sinister, but no less serious side. Despite how “progressive” society has become, even today most girls do not get to interact much with their male counterparts. Books, movies, sappy Star Plus soaps, and above all, peer pressure invokes in these girls a yearning for male companionship. And the easiest way to find it is in online chat rooms. These gullible and unsuspecting girls thus become victim to the lies and false charms of good-for-nothing losers who have nothing better to do than stay online all day and who are just out to have a good time at other people’s expense. Once ensnared, these unsuspecting girls go on to create hue and cry in their homes about their “beloveds” who are in no way whatsoever marriage material, causing unwarranted tension and anxiety within the girl’s life and strain on familial relations. Last and certainly not the least, prolonged internet usage frequently results in an unhealthy addiction. Children neglect their homework, their families and other responsibilities. They develop unsocial habits

 

 In the next episode we will look at various protective measures parents, caregivers, government, social organizations and communities should adopt to counter these threats. Don’t forget to check out the next episode here at www.biggtech.com . You are welcome to provide us feedback on this posting and give us additional links, references and citing which can be helpful.

Visit Protecting Children in Cyberspace – Guide for parents [ Part 2 of 2 ] here

References

ECPAT International, “Violence against children in cyberspace,”

www.ecpat.net/EI/Publications/ICT/Cyberspace_ENG.pdf

Enough. “Just harmless fun,” www.enough.org/objects/justharmlessfun.pdf

John L. Terry, “Protecting children in cyberspace,” http://ezinearticles.com/?Protecting-Children-in-Cyberspace&id=1224575

OpenNet Initiative, “About filtering,” http://opennet.net/about-filtering

Wikipedia, “Blocking IP addresses,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Blocking_IP_addresses

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to subscribe our RSS feed or become our Facebook fan! You will get all the latest updates at both the places. Thank You!

Incoming search terms for the article:

• dangers on the internet for children WIKIPEDIA
• NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF CYBERSPACE ON CHILD