Stranger danger

There is a world of interaction going on in cyberspace, most of it fun and educational. But there is a dark side – the equivalent of "stranger danger" is a threat online, and many parents don't fully understand how to identify or combat it.

David McKie and Alison Benoit from the Department of Education and Training's Student Welfare Directorate are well aware of the issues in keeping children safe.

"Our focus is on getting students to raise issues when they get uncomfortable with anything online," Ms Benoit says.

"It's up to parents and teachers to ensure children have the skills they need to identify risk and take extra precautions against predators."

Mr McKie says schools have very strict filtering programs installed. "But of course, online access is provided by parents in the home as well, so kids have to feel safe in their environment and know they can let adults know when they've strayed somewhere or been contacted by someone who is making them feel uncomfortable, without the fear that they'll be cut off from accessing online activity."

And that's the crunch. Children today use their online world for virtually every learning and social activity. The fear of being "cut off" is often far greater than the discomfort or confusion they might be experiencing through communications from potential predators.

There are horror stories of teenagers being lured into chatting with new "friends" who, over a period of weeks or even months, build up an online relationship of trust and kindness. Eventually, they will ask for more information – phone numbers, photographs, addresses – and then will suggest a meeting.

A child may think they're off to meet another teenager but could, in fact, encounter an adult. Law enforcement agencies all over the world, including NSW Police, have set up a special arm to deal with cyberstalkers and online sexual predators.

Senior Constable Sascha Lipman from the NSW Police Force Media Unit says sexual predators are being brought to justice through the special Child Exploitation and Sex Crimes squad (CESC).

"Parents will find some good information about how to monitor and detect problems online at our website www.police.nsw.gov.au which has links to the CESC squad and gives tips and links so you can better understand who is chatting to your kids."

Both Mr McKie and Ms Benoit point out that there is a collaborative program in place with NSW Police and NSW public schools with modules on all types of issues, and one of these is cybercrime. The modules aim to raise students' awareness of the consequences of involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour.

"Police talk to individual principals and come up with a joint program of crime prevention workshops," Ms Benoit says.

"Police will then go into the schools and talk to kids with the teacher – there is a specific module for cybercrime and anecdotal evidence says that it's been extremely successful and well received by the kids."

Mr McKie says that it is important that parents take an active interest in their children's online activity – especially if they provide access at home. "They have to have knowledge of the technology, the benefiTs and the risks involved," he explains.

"Trust has to be the driving force behind this interest – the child needs to understand that parental monitoring of a situation is not ‘snoopervision' but supervision."

While it might take a bit of negotiation, Mr McKie insists that some monitoring should happen in the home. "If it's just left to go unchecked, then that's not good."

Parents face the real challenge of keeping a clear head when it comes to monitoring their child's use of the Internet or mobile phones, as children will react badly if their access to this vital communication tool is heavily restricted. It is up to parents to be diligent and protective without letting their child feel it is their fault that precautions are necessary.

Get involved: If your child has a Bebo, Facebook or MySpace page, ask to see it. Without being judgemental, make sure the photographs that are posted are not in any way suggestive and don't link your child to any geographic region that can be easily identified like a school, your home or regular sporting venue.

Make suggestions to change anything you find worrisome or  inappropriate. Discuss the reasons why with your child to ensure they know it is not arbitrary censorship, rather it is for their safety and your peace of mind.

Sexual predators who chat to children on the Internet frequently go on to make calls to the child, but monitoring calls is becoming increasingly difficult for parents. With the new generation of phones, Internet and email access is also possible.

• Choose a mobile for your child that does not have Internet access or speak to your carrier to block Internet access and any other features not required by your child.
• Check your child's phone bill for numbers other than known family or friends and ask if you don't recognise frequently dialled numbers.
• Stress the importance of not responding to messages from strangers. If your child receives persistent messages or calls from a stranger, note the number and report to police. Save any messages or pictures on the handset to show police.
• Remind your child about never giving out their mobile phone number to strangers.

If you know or suspect your child has been contacted by a predator, first ensure your child knows it is not their fault and that you will now step in to help them. You may need your child's help to access the offending material or correspondence, so it's important they know you are on their side.

Try to save a copy of the chat log between your child and the suspected paedophile. You can do this by highlighting the text with your mouse, creating a copy, and pasting it into a document that can then be saved.

You can also install software that will record your child's conversations for chat software such as Yahoo and MSN. Note any particulars such as websites, email addresses, user nicknames and any telephone numbers.

Then go to your local police station to make a formal complaint against the suspected paedophile. If you do not have a copy of the chat log, try to provide police with as much detail as possible from the conversation, such as where the predator might live, the handle/name he used in the chat room, what chat room you were in, and their mobile phone number.

You could also report the activity of the person to the chat room provider or moderator. This may prevent the person from returning to that particular chat room and looking for their next victim.

You can also call Crime Stoppers 24-hour line 1800 333 000 or if you have information or a question for the Child Exploitation Internet Unit you can send an email to the unit: ceiu@police.nsw.gov.au