Showing posts with label sexual predators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexual predators. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Are we putting our kids in danger??

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
We may actually be putting our kids in danger by the contradicting messages we send.
We tell them not to trust strangers, yet
-we drop them off at ball practice with coaches we may never have met
-we allow them to stay after school because they will be with their teacher

-we send them to dance lessons
-scout meetings
-play groups
-daycare centers
-friends' homes
-malls
-movie theaters
-parks
-parties
-beaches
-even to the doctors office
without making sure that they are able to recognize when they are in danger

All of these places and circumstances are full of people they do not know & we do not know. Full of possible child predators.

We teach our kids not to take candy from strangers, but on Halloween, we often make exceptions, especially if it's in our own neighborhood, where sexual predators may lurk or reside.

And while we tell them not to even talk to strangers, we make an exception there too for police officers or other representatives of authority.
However, sexual predators have jobs in every profession.
There are no exceptions; they are white collar professionals, blue collar worker, & unemployed individuals.
It's impossible to tell sexual predators from the rest of the population. They are everywhere.




Instead of picking out a group of people to whom our kids can turn to when they are in trouble, such as police officers, we need to simply & openly teach children how to know where to turn.

They have to be trained to use their own intuition about people & use it in conjunction with the information that we have provided to them.

Predators can easily gain the trust of a child, instill in them a feeling of security, & often lead them astray by convincing them that they are mature enough to make their own decisions.

That is why we need to teach children, starting from a very early age, the vitally important information to help them take the power away from the predator.

*Children need to be aware that predators can & will approach them in broad daylight, & on the internet, anywhere at anytime.

If we can instill in our children the need to be completely aware of their surroundings on a much higher level than we generally do, then it's a start.

If we let children know at a young age that people older than them cannot always be trusted, that someone may try to talk to them about things like secrets & special friendships & that children need to tell on them, then we are making some progress. If we explain openly & honestly that there is nobody that can be crossed off the list of people to follow the rules about, then we might just get through to them.

Kids are resilient. They are smarter than we think. Giving them the tools to protect themselves at an early age is wise because it will come naturally to them as just another lesson in life.

I want to help you, as parents, educate yourselves & your children about these predators.

Without education, we will fail our children.

your_girl_amy@yahoo.com


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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

What children are at risk?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Some young people are particularly vulnerable to online predators.

May display some of the following traits:
~new online & unfamiliar with netiquette. But even the most web savvy teens can be seduced by predators who are good at what they do.

~Actively seeking attention or affection

~Rebellious

~isolated/lonely

~Curious

~Confused regarding sexual identity

~Easily tricked by adults

~Allured by subcultures outside of parents' world.

Here are some characteristics of typical victims:

-most but not all victims are between the age of 12 & 15
-Most victims have an instant message account but haven't set up privacy or security settings & willingly engage in conversations with strangers.
-live in suburban or rural towns
-are very sheltered & naive
-tend to be loners with few offline friends.
-tend to spend more than 90 minutes online after homework per day
-are secretive about their internet activities
-tend to have few activities outside of the internet.

Just because your child matches one or more of these characteristics does not mean they are being targeted by predators. However, your child is not perfectly safe if they match none of these characteristics.

Be an involved parent. Ask your child questions. Explain why you want to know this info.
Open & honest.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me for a FREE consultation.
your_girl_amy@yahoo.com

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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Grooming....do you know what it is?

Saturday, August 21, 2010
Do you remember what it was like to be a teenager?
You feel lonely..lost. Everyone is against you.

Today it's even more difficult to suffer through the teenage years with the internet.
There's online bullying for starters. But that's a whole other post.

Grooming is the process predators use to bond with their victim.
It's how they develop a close relationship with the child.
It can be compared to seduction.

Online predators gradually seduce their potential victims through the use of attention, affection, kindness, & gifts. They are willing to devote considerable amounts of time, money, & energy to this process.
The predators will be aware of the latest music & hobbies likely to interest kids & will listen to & sympathize with kids' problems.
They also try to lower young people's inhibitions by gradually introducing sexual content into their conversations.

Because victims have been carefully seduced, they often do not realize that they are victims.

If teens & their parents keep their eyes open, this process can be picked up on & interrupted.

The most important thing parents can do is keep an open & honest relationship with their children. Tell them about the warnings & signs I have posted. Talk to them often.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me for a free consultation.
your_girl_amy@yahoo.com

4 comments

Monday, August 16, 2010

Tips for parents about online safety

Monday, August 16, 2010
~Talk to your child. Be open and honest. Find examples of cyber seduction and show them to your child. Educate them.

~Set clear rules regarding the computer & internet usage. Be prepared to back up your rules.

~Understand what your child is doing online. Have them show you where they go & their social networking profiles.

~Monitor their online accounts & email. Also their cell phones. Do this out in the open. Let them know why you are doing it too.

~Instruct your child not to post their address or phone number publicly.

~Keep the computer in a common area of the house instead of the bedroom.

~Instruct your child not to add strangers as friends on social networking sites.

~Prohibit web-cams

~Teach your child the responsible use of the resources online.

~Understand, even if your child was a willing participant in any form of sexual exploitation, that he/she is not at fault & is the victim.


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