Level the field against pedophiles
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other adults who supervise or nurture children in any way: Please go to your computer today and search for information that will help you monitor the Web sites youngsters in your care are visiting.
What? You don't know how to use it beyond its most rudimentary functions?
That's a problem. Maybe bigger than you think.
And in a minute, we'll get to several others.
We feel an urgent need to stand up on a soapbox and call your attention to a growing use of the Internet by pedophiles to prey on children.
They do this directly, as they have for thousands of years, by molesting innocent, unsuspecting children. But over the past decade or so, they've made huge gains in their sick war on decency. They've been armed with the most powerful weapon of all time: The Internet.
In reviewing ways to keep children safe, we shook our heads and concluded that it's not enough. We simply have to keep talking about this, trading ideas and exchanging information, and fight like we've never fought before.
? To fight back, we need to understand the enemy's weapon of choice. If you don't know how to load the latest software on your computer to combat your young ones putting themselves in danger, enlist the help of someone you know and trust. Ask your guide to show you how some of the dangerous social networking sites operate.
? Set limits with computer time and access. Experts suggest putting the computer out in plain view. Determine acceptable times for use. Ensure the children in your care know what's OK and what isn't.
? Most of all, remember that no personal tutorial or software program on the planet is going to make up for our failures as responsible, loving adults. That starts with honest, open communication with children. The first step is doing everything in our power to keep predators out of our children's lives. Failing that, though, having strong communication with them can prevent irreparable damage down the road.
Consider what's happening. The world is getting faster every single day, life more hectic. Families are disintegrating. More adults need to work, leaving less time and energy for things that matter the most. When many of us grew up, Dad worked, Mom took care of the kids and life was much simpler. As priorities shifted and parents got busier, television became an omnipresent baby sitter, and now, it's being replaced or augmented by computers and the Internet.
At the risk of sounding corny, naive or both, we believe with all our hearts that the ultimate solution to protecting and nurturing our children is by loving them. Do that and they won't seek love and attention in the wrong places.