Thursday, January 15, 2009
By the Way The Internet's Probably Not as Dangerous as MSNBC's Chris Hansen Says
Posted by Brantley Hargrove on Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 5:11 AM
Not exactly, study says
We've been spectators, enraptured with a mixture of fascination and revulsion at the spectacle that is "To Catch a Predator," the freak show where we shake our heads in consternation. Not saying they don't deserve it, but it was undoubtedly one of the truly low points in contemporary pop culture.
It also led parents to believe that anytime their children are on the computer, a slavering fiend is on the other end, rubbing his hands together deviously and looking for an opening. Hell, even Tennessee jumped on the bandwagon with a law enforcement coalition to tackle Internet predators.
It makes for "good" television (compelling and addictive), but it's overstated, according to a study released by a task force composed of 49 state attorneys general, the Berkman Center for Internet and Society and a whole bevy of search engines and IPs. The long and short of it is that, in many cases, the problems are created by the young Internet users themselves. I don't think the purpose is to blame them, but that maybe safety will be found in safer online behavior among minors rather than some law enforcement crackdown on the unwieldy cyberbeast. Here are the highlights:
--Bullying and harassment are the most frequent threats kids face online.
--The Internet does increase the availability of harmful or sexual material, but it doesn't necessarily increase the likelihood that a minor will see it. Those most likely to see it are the ones looking for it in the first place.
--Minors aren't equally at risk online. Kids who are most at risk are engaging in risky behaviors and have problems at home. Family dynamics and psychosocial makeup (well-adjusted, not so much, etc.) are better predictors for exposure to harmful elements than is, say, whether they use Facebook or MySpace.
--In summation, the researchers say this is just the beginning. Too little is known about the actual risks and the role minors themselves play in contributing to a dangerous Internet environment.
Comments (1)
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Actually, Chris Hansen is portraying an accurate picture, but the show spins it in the direction the parents want to see it. If you look at the situation that is portrayed on the show, it is that of a 13 year old child going into an ADULT chat room and looking for sex. The child is meeting the adult and is totally aware of the nature of the meeting.
This is exactly the scenario that the task force has described. Kids are not being lured. Those who are being taken advantage of are going to the meetings willingly. The task force recommended measures to help identify these teens online and intervene before there is a meeting.
There are plenty of predators out there and they are active, but the vast majority are not deceiving and luring innocent children. They are taking advantage of youth who are at risk. These are the same teens who would be at risk even if there was no Internet. We need to do more about helping this segment of our teen population.
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