Sex Offenders - You Can Protect Your Children
By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
The best way to protect children is through the power of education. It is paramount to teach your children how to protect themselves, whether it is online, on a playground, the mall or at home.
ABC Dateline reporter, Chris Hansen presents a series, "To Catch a Predator." Using decoys acting as a minor on the Internet Instant Messaging system. Predators are lured to a house where a decoy is waiting and the Dateline hidden camera crew is recording the event, while police watch nearby waiting to arrest the predator after he has learned from Chris Hansen that it is a set-up.
The website, MySpace reportedly removed 29,000 registered sex offender members from their site, according to an article by BBC News. Two articles, one each on SFGate.com and MSNBC.com reported that Facebook.com has a similarly problematic attraction for sex offenders.
May 22, 2006, the 109th Congress 2nd session declared June as Internet Safety Month. Recently, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Cox Communication released a highly disturbing survey of youth between 13 and 17 years old about their use of the Internet.
• 4 percent of the children questioned have had face-to-face meetings with people they met on the Internet. One child meeting a stranger from Internet contact is one too many.
• 30 percent said they have considered meeting someone face-to-face who they know only through the Internet.
• 71 percent reported receiving messages online from someone they didn’t know.
• 45 percent said they have been asked for personal information.
The list of tips for parents to protect their child on the Internet implies a predator could reach through the Computer screen and pull the child into an abyss.
The best tip to protect your child from any would-be child Internet predator is to provide them with the love, nurturing, guidance, connectedness and time they need to thrive in life. Children who have high self-esteem and strong family connections would not lured by a predator. The guidance they need regarding Internet conversations, no matter the web site is the same as when a stranger calls on the phone or rings the doorbell.
• Never tell a stranger on the Internet any personal information—the same as NEVER telling anyone on the phone that they are home alone or reveal any identifying information.
• Never trust a stranger on the Internet no matter how kind or friendly they seem to be—or if they tell you, “I know your Mom/Dad.”
• Never meet an Internet friend (stranger)—the same as NEVER opening the door to a stranger or getting in a strangers car.
I am baffled that many parents argue against what I am saying when I speak at teachers' conferences, PTO meetings, day care centers and pediatricians’ offices. “That will never happen in my family or my neighborhood.”—they argue. They seem to only believe the neighborhoods on the other side of town are vulnerable to sex offenders. Studies reveal sex offenders are from all professions and socioeconomic status.
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Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, author, "If I'd Only Known... Sexual Abuse in or Out of the Family: A Guide to Prevention, specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Prevention and Recovery. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net
When will the majority come out of its well-guarded denial and stop Pedophiles/Ephebophiles from proliferating. Incarcerating sex offenders after the damage is done does little to stop the crime. The majority of sex offenders get out of jail in four years—85% re-offend. Not to mention the majority of sex offenders are in the family. We need to change the approach to stopping this insidious crime.
Stopping this crime begins at home. http://www.gen-assist.com
