Research has shown that one in five 10-17 year olds are sexually solicited online. It amazes me how many parents allow their children to have computers connected to the internet in their bedroom, worse yet webcams. WebCams can be very dangerous to children. In 2006, a British children’s internet charity advised parents to ban young people from using webcams in their bedrooms.
According to the news article published by BBC News, advice was issued after news reported that 100 of girls may be among the victims of a 23 year old man facing pornography charges in Canada.
According to police Mark Bedford, who used the online alias Supalover666, ratemybody and Marco1812000 threatened girls with rape, bodily harm and even death if they failed to co-operate and perform sex acts on their webcams. Mark had a fake profile on Xanga where he posted fake photos and pretended to be a 15 year old girl interested in singing, dancing, computer, and her boyfriend. Mark Bedford pleated guilty to 10 extortion and child pornography-related charges and was sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary.
Justin Berry was a typical 13-year-old child when he begun his five-year cycle in which he was molested and begun performing sex acts in front of his webcam. In a 2006 news report, Justin tells his story of how he was lured into child porn. (Justin Berry Warns Problem Extends Beyond a Few Isolated Cases.)
In 2007, Alycia Lane of cbs3.com filed a special report on the potential dangers of webcams. Videos of young girls being provocative shared on video-sharing sites have become a disturbing practice among teen girls.
Children and teenagers who think having a webcam is cool are not aware of the dangers. It is up to us as parents to educate them and keep them safe.
An important question to ask yourself is would you let a stranger into your child’s bedroom?
Please, carefully consider the dangers of allowing your children to have unsupervised access to web cams. Be smart and protect your children.
Please spread the word regarding the danger of webcams by stumbling or linking to this article.
Further Reading:
Danger of webcams for children
National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre (NCECC) – Fact Sheets – Webcams
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8 responses so far ↓
Wrote: Jun 14, 2008 at 5:27 pm
This is very scary, Rose. Thanks for this post and the information. My grandchildren have their computer time closely monitored.
Wrote: Jun 14, 2008 at 6:48 pm
The issue is not all that complexed—it all boils down to two things—first establishing a rapport with your children that allows them to honestly apporach you with THEY’RE problems and not fear retribution, and the second and maybe the MOST important—is monitoring your kids and limiting them access, or at least private access to the computer and the WWW—-there be perverts out there—educate your kids, make them aware of that—in my day it was beware of strange men offering ya candy—-nothing has changed, its just become digital—are your kids a member of the latchkey generation??
Wrote: Jun 14, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Gary, I don’t think children should have complete and private access to the internet and they certainly should not have private access to a webcam. My children are not a member of the latchkey generation. Gary I would be the first to argue that “Times have changed .”
Wrote: Jun 15, 2008 at 2:34 am
It all boils down to parenting. I’ve always believed that the computer should be in an open room (living room, dining room, ect.) and never in a bedroom unless it didn’t have internet access. I used to have an ancient computer in my room when I was going to middle and high school, but it didn’t have any sort of internet access. That was the only way I was allowed to have a computer in my room.
My daughters are all really into the barbie website, but the only time they can get online is when my husband or I am home, and even then we’re sitting with them as they play the games and everything.
Parents who allow their children to have computers with webcams and access to the internet in their rooms are pretty much asking for trouble. Harsh, but it’s how I feel.
Wrote: Jun 17, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I agree with Erin. I actually could have gotten myself into numerous bad situations- growing up as an adolescent as the internet became more and more popular. But I had parents who didn’t allow internet in my room and only had one computer that the family share and were monitored.
It’s scary, but if kids had proper parenting these problems wouldn’t exist.
Thanks for sharing this Rose!
Wrote: Jun 19, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Kids are kids and will try anything that they find interesting. Due to this, they are wide open to being exploited and abused by these perverts.
At the end of the day though, parents just need to be more informed and more a part of their childs lives.
This is something that doesn’t need to happen, but it still does, and I shake my head each time I hear it on the news.
Heh, even when I’m not using my cam I cover it…just in case…
Great post here! this needs to be embedded in every parents head.
Wrote: Jun 30, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Come on stop babying kids. Kids will do what kids do. It sucks that there are creepy people out there looking for young kids to get them off but acting like you can protect them from this is wrong. Cell phone cameras (not even theirs) can do the same things. Teach them and hope for the best. Restricting access to the internet or even a webcam because of the chance of danger is only going to harm your own kids in the long run as they have less access to important sources.
Wrote: Jun 30, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Demex, a parent’s best defense for protecting a child from online sexual solicitation is to monitor their online activity. My opinion is that a child shouldn’t have access to the internet without direct supervision. And if a parent allows their teen to have a webcam they should supervise that use too.