According to recent statistics released by national research center Crimes Against Children, one in seven young people receive a sexual solicitation or are approached by a stranger over the Internet. And those alarming numbers are cause for concern among parents, according to assistant Monmouth County prosecutor Tom Fichter.

Fichter addressed the dangers of teen Internet usage with faculty, staff and parents in St. Denis School, Manasquan, Nov. 19. The interactive presentation – entitled “Empowering Parents” – was designed to provide participants with a basic overview of social networking sites, popular communication devices, and monitoring and safety control programs available to parents.

Fichter, an experienced prosecutor whose children attend the school, has convicted many sexual predators but readily admits that he is still stunned by material on the Internet.

“So much has changed, and I am shocked by what is on the Internet now,” he said. He prefaced his talk with an immediate call-to-action and noted, “Nothing in the world or anything I will say tonight can possibly take the place of active parenting.”

Advancing Technologies
Among children aged 12 to 17, it is estimated that 93 percent use the Internet and developing children aged 10 to 12 are the most vulnerable due to their curiosity, Fichter explained. He emphasized that all teens are at risk, even those from good families with good values.

Fichter warned parents about other communication devices like cellular phones with cameras, webcams, Internet-enabled gadgets and game consoles.

“Lines are blurring between devices, and e-mails never, ever go away. Send photos to someone, and you never know where they end up. Combine this with instant communications like messaging and texting, and the potential for big problems exists,” he added.

Referencing a recent case involving the victimization of young males through game boxes, Fichter noted that a group of older men posed as young females and then lured the boys into sending photos. The boys thought they were talking to girls and were basically blackmailed into sending more photos, he explained.

“Sometimes guys do stupid things, and boys are at higher risk in some respects because they don’t admit when they have been victimized,” he added. 

Tips For Parents
Fichter urged parents to treat their children like children instead of like “mini adults” and to disregard the myth that they do not have enough privacy.

“Get over that concept and make an effort to learn, get involved, discuss proper etiquette, monitor and restrict Internet usage if necessary,” he quipped.

He added that frank discussions can be very embarrassing but urged parents to caution their children against meeting Internet acquaintances in real life and posting personal information and images. Additionally, he suggested parents keep computers in common areas.

Fichter provided a list and displayed an online view of some of the most popular social networking sites, including MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Tagged, Ning and others, and noted that there are privacy controls and pages built into each site which restrict who can view a child’s information.

“While telling them they can’t ‘twitter’ will only make them want to do it more, you can monitor what they post and who can view their profiles. It is real important for adults to fill out the privacy forms,” Fichter said.

He cited computer control programs available through the operating systems Vista and Leopard and free blocking and filtering programs while also reminding guests about programs for devices like cellular phones and video games. He noted that a good source of information on Internet safety can be viewed on the website www.NetSmartz411.org and concluded his presentation with another caveat to parents.

“Be vigilant – watch for changes in behavior, habits, sleep patterns, grades, and friendships and don’t be afraid to have those tough talks,” he said.