Watch Out for Cyber Predators
12 May 2008 (New Straits Times)
By Nurris Ishak PARENTS beware. Cyber predators prowling chat rooms and other online social networking sites are a threat to your children's safety, writes NURRIS ISHAK. Little Najwa Husna Ishak is one of the countless millions who surf the Internet daily for information and to catch up with friends through chat rooms or instant messaging services. But Najwa is among the lucky few who have two guardian angels looking over her and giving her some plain down-to-earth advice. Predators are aplenty in cyber space, moving stealthily and using false identities to lure their young victims. Masquerading as a child or teen online, a predator would try to gain his victim's trust with the aim of meeting the victim in person. Najwa, 11, who has been utilising the Yahoo Messenger (YM), an instant messaging service, for several years, said: "I used to chat with my former classmate who has moved to London. We would usually chat when I return from school around 2pm. "Sometimes, others would try to chat with me but I usually ignore them or just switch the programme off. I don't like talking to strangers." Sometimes her mother or father would be by her side. The computer is in the living room and it allows her parents to keep an eye on her online activities. "I usually go online in the afternoon, but at times when I need to do some research for my homework, I would go online at night. I visit my school portal to do my homework. "But most of the time, I would go to the Disney or Nickelodean website. I like playing games online. It's fun," she said with a grin. "My parents have told me the "do's and don'ts" when I am online. They told me not to talk to strangers and not to click on certain pop-ups and websites where there are pictures of people kissing. "My parents don't stop me from using the Internet, but they warn me to be careful when I am online." Recently, a 24-year-old man was charged in the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court with kidnapping a 12-year-old girl whom he befriended through the Internet. Under Section 363 of the Penal Code, those found guilty of the offence can be punished with imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine. Last year, the European Union (EU) launched a survey on Internet usage and mobile phones under the EU's Safer Internet Programme. The Eurobarometer's qualitative survey spanned across 29 countries and was conducted between March to May 2007. The survey interviewed children between the ages of 9 and 14 from all 27 EU member states. They were asked in-depth questions on their usage of the Internet, and how they would react to problems and risks when using the Internet and mobile phones. According to the EU's press release posted on their website, the survey results highlighted the need for proactive online media education, especially on the opportunities and risks posed by the Internet. Many children who were interviewed revealed experiences that could make any parents' blood turn cold, which includes a "teen" arranging a meeting with a 12-year-old cyber-friend. The "teen" turned out to be a 44-year-old man. European Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding said where the security of the children is at stake, there can be no room for complacency. She added that it is also important to continue raising awareness on the opportunities and risks of new media, especially among parents. As the Internet provides a worldwide link, the risks posed by cyber predators are not limited by borders. Experts from CyberSecurity Malaysia have launched an online portal at www.esecurity.org.my to educate the public on Internet safety. According to a CyberSecurity expert, the agency has received several reports on paedophile activities and pornography sites which exploit children. "There are two important things a parent can do to start protecting their children. Firstly, parents should sit down with their children and educate them on the potential dangers and hazards online. "Parents should inform and educate their children on the 'do's and don'ts' of online interaction. "Secondly, parents should set online rules with their children. They should also spend time with their children to guide them, and at the same time, know their child's favourite online activities." Parents could set a particular time when the child is allowed to go online and set a limit on Internet usage. They could also restrict the sites the child is allowed to visit, and that permission should be obtained if the child wants to visit other sites, he said. Parents can also use monitoring, viewing, blocking or filtering programs. Network engineer Nicholas Yap said there are some programs that enable parents to monitor their children's online activity, as well as preventing pornographic pop-ups from appearing on their screen. "Programmes such as the Net-Nanny and CYBERsitter allow parents to view all the websites visited, and would also record both sides of online conversations from AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger. "Parents could also install special social networking filters that will block or provide limited access to popular, but potentially dangerous social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. The programme will send reports to the parents through email." The simple act of putting the computer in a common area would also deter the child from visiting "prohibited sites". A month ago, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown commissioned a study to be conducted on children. According to an Asian News International article published on March 28, the results suggested that computers should be placed in sitting rooms rather than the children's bedroom, so that parents can monitor if the kids are looking at inappropriate materials. Malaysian Association of Child Protection vice-president Dr Farah Nini Dusuki said parents have to be more accountable and vigilant on the activities of their children. "This has to start early in the child's formative years. They should never be allowed to go out without supervision. "The Internet provides a social network outlet for the modern day child. But children should not be allowed to surf without adult supervision as they can access anything and everything." Children need to be educated from young, to be told what is right and wrong, especially areas that are morally wrong. When they have such awareness, it will then act as an inner shield. But they need to be constantly reminded. "All these will only be possible if parents share a common bond with their children. "When they become teenagers, they are more exposed and if parents want to simply stop them from exploring then, it will be a futile effort. "Even if there is a strong bond between parents and children, close monitoring is essential. Thus children cannot be allowed unmonitored usage of the Internet." However, given the fact that the benefits of using the Internet far outweighs the risks, children should be encouraged to utilise the technology, said Dr Jas Laile Suzana Jaafar, Universiti Malaya's Adolescent and Child Psychology lecturer. "But they should not be left on their own and it is important for parents to limit their children. "Left to their own devices, the children could spend too much time in front of the computer and thus, leave them lacking in social skills." Cases of online victims Masuillah Hafesjee of England is your typical cyber predator and he struck in February in Bradford. Posing as an 18-year-old, Masuillah, 30, befriended a 15-year- old girl over an Internet chat room. He lured her to his home and had sex with her. The Telegraph & Argus reported that Masuillah was sentenced to five years' jail. In January last year, police arrested Charles Leroy Crowell, 34, in San Diego, US, on two counts of raping a 14-year-old girl he met in an Internet chat room. The teenager was found with Crowell after she went missing for three days. Runaway British schoolgirl, Amy Robson, 17, made headlines last September when she fled from her family home near Carlisle, in pursuit of a man she met in an Internet cafe. The Daily Telegraph reported that Robson left home on the pretext of going to college. Instead, the teenager caught a train to London and bought an air ticket to Hurghada in Egypt, to meet Mohammed. The episode was capped with her wedding to Mohammed in December. |
