Are you one of those frustrated parents who can’t seem to pull their child away from the Internet? Are you one of those ignorant parents who don’t know which websites their children are visiting or what they are doing on the Net? Are you one of those scared parents who are constantly worrying about their children falling prey to paedophiles or other miscreant adults or youngsters?
Start by establishing a trust between you and your child so that the child is comfortable sharing his feelings with you. Spend time with him and see what websites he visits, what friends he chats with online. It’s easier said than done but nevertheless will be a good idea to start doing it. See his friend’s list on social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, MySpace, and the like, see what video streaming sites he visits and if the content of those sites are meant for children of his age. This will give you a peep into his virtual world and may help you see any danger signs. It will also be a good idea to set a few limits about Net surfing and making friends. However, make sure you do this very smartly. The child shouldn’t feel that you’re intruding into his privacy or keeping an eye on him. You should also know when and where to stop. Make your child feel that you are taking an interest in his life and are being his buddy, without being nosey.
Sometimes, online friendships with unknown people may evolve to a level where your child and the new friend may decide to meet in the real world. Do not ignore this situation. In the best case scenario, it may just turn out to be your child making a new friend and establishing a lifelong friendship. In the worst case scenario, it could be a pedophile posing as a child. If you have managed to establish trust with your child or have predefined limits about online and offline meetings, the probability of his confiding into you about a possible offline meeting is high. This is your best starting point. Grab it.
Here are a few pointers that will help you decide what you must do next:
Get details of this online friend, such as the name, age, photo, etc, including contact information.
Insist on accompanying the child for the meeting either yourself or ask another trusted adult.
Insist on meeting the friend and becoming familiar so that you are more comfortable letting your child meet the friend again.
Tell the child about the telltale signals that will help him see through the friend and sense trouble.
Above all, do not feel bad about establishing and enforcing rules and limits on your child about how and what he can view on the Internet or about meeting unknown online friends offline. Your child is not fully unaware of the perils that such meetings hold and it is your responsibility to protect them.
