GEM-3

Chapter 3 in Security vs. Access is titled, Predators, or Ensnaring Young People. This chapter again goes along with chapter 6 in the Williamson text. This chapter contains interesting information and I enjoyed reading this information to make myself more aware of what is going on in the online world.

There are people out there who mask who they really are with unhappy intentions. Some adults use it with sexual intentions with minors. These people are known as predators. Pedophiles can use the internet to bring children into sexual relationships that are inappropriate. "Between 1996 and 2007, the number of child pornography or sexual exploitation cases rose from 113 to 2,443, an increase of 2,162%." Misperceptions of these predators are that they are always adult males looking for young children, that any personal information on the internet leads to abduction and assault, and that children are always tricked into meeting predators. Young children are not usually the victims, most are teenagers betweent he ages of 13-17. These crimes are not through stalking, abduction, or violence; typically they are attempting to engage sexually. Predators play with teen's emotions and convince them they can be trusted and they can meet them safely. Child sex crimes are not new and have not appeared as the internet has become popular, but the internet is a new medium through which predators can attempt these crimes. Teachers and parents must be responsible in informing their children about online predators and the precautions to implement so their children are not victimized. There are lists to go through with young children and adolescents. There is a list of ways to report victimizing situations in this chapter also.

This is great information for the classroom. It shows the importance of needing to use avatars and screennames in classes for online programs where names and photos are used in the classroom. Teachers do not want their students becoming the victims of these online predators and it is important that proper precautions are put in place so that this does not happen.