Today: Legislation to Protect Against Online Sexual Predators

Sexual predators have a high rate of recidivism, and are therefore, still perceived and potential threats even after they have been punished for a crime. Law enforcement would like to be able to prevent sexual predators from committing again and again, by limiting their online activity, which can lead to more criminal activity, but the reality is that enforcing preventative measures is very, very difficult — if not impossible.

There are laws that keep sexual predators from living within a certain distance of schools and other places where children congregate on a regular basis, but even these laws are hard to enforce. Sexual predators who have served their time for a conviction may move around, have more than one home (the system isn’t set up to register a sexual predator at multiple homes and some of them are wealthy enough to afford multiple homes and live in them at different times of the year). Sexual predators who have served their time for a conviction may take hotel rooms at Disney World and any other theme park. And sexual predators who have served their time for a conviction, may also have e-mail addresses and use the internet.

It is entirely possible for sexual predators to have multiple e-mail addresses, to change e-mail addresses, to use a friend’s e-mail address, to go online from a public library or other public place where internet access is available and enforcement of any measure that requires their registering their e-mail address to keep track of their internet activity is hopeless.

It would serve parents and families to observe the following:

Back to school safety tips no longer include JUST don’t talk to strangers and don’t take candy from anyone you don’t know. There are many more dangers for children and teens than ever before. Below are tips for online safety:

1. Recognize technology boom. If you’re still struggling with the VCR (does anyone still have one?), then you need to get with the program for safety’s sake. Schools use computers and online websites regularly now. They also expect students to be computer literate, have computer access and use computer websites for homework. Be involved in your student’s academic life, and know what teachers expect from your children in terms of online activity.

2. Find out about parental controls. Your internet service provider will be able to tell you what parental controls are offered to your child, and you will have the option to lock out unsafe websites and access to certain areas of the cyber-world. However…understand that this is only on your computer in your home. Your child has access to computers at school, at public libraries and at friends’ homes.

3. Unsupervised play-dates mean anything goes. Just because your little angel doesn’t do anything inappropriate doesn’t mean that the people he or she plays with don’t, or that the family members of the people he or she plays with don’t. Your child may have access to porn, unsafe websites and more freedom than you want for them on other people’s computers. Know where your child is, with whom, and make your concerns clear to the supervising adult.

4. Don’t be naive. Porn websites are not the only places your child may have access to inappropriate images and reading material. Ads for clothing companies that sell to tweens, teens and even children, have sexualized their content to lure in curious kids. Beware. But even better — be prepared.

5. Monitor your child’s browsing activity. Every now and then check the history of your child’s browsing. Only allow them MySpace or other “club” site passwords if you have access to the password. There are creeps out there who lurk as teens, when they’re actually adults looking for trouble. Your child may be the victim.