Child surfers of net exposed to paedophiles

CHILDREN who surf the net are being exposed to paedophiles.

Government research showed that 86% of children said they had been asked for a face-to-face meeting with someone they had met in a chat room. The research said that a third of all children were now using chat rooms.

The survey was published as part of a Department of Education leaflet on internet safety called Be Wise on the Internet, which included a new website for children.

Irish expert on internet child abuse, Prof Max Taylor, said the internet and chat rooms posed “real risks” for children.

“The events that might relate to the two girls in England is at the extreme end, but there is evidence of a shift in online engagement to real-time meeting, which is inherently dangerous.”

The Professor of Applied Psychology at UCC said a pervert uses all sorts of attractions and inducements to lure children to meet him.

“The biggest inducement is excitement, the opportunity to do something parents would not approve of, a secret thing between the child and the other person.”

He said evidence in the US showed that a large proportion of meetings arranged over the internet - involving both adults and children - ended in sexual assaults. For parents, he said, it was crucial that they:

l Know what their child is doing.

l Encourage the child to be open about what their doing.

l Be clear with the child about what they are doing.

“The internet can be a grand place, it can also be an extremely dangerous place. Children need to be made aware of these dangers, but also that they are very real.”

He said children need to be aware that the fantasy on the internet can become reality, sometimes a very tragic reality. He said children were also sometimes caught in possession of child pornography. “The issue of exposure of young people to pornography is very worrying. Any parent must feel a lot of concern about it, particularly exposure to child pornography.

“We have no idea what that might do to sexual development, no idea how it might relate to peer interactions.” He said he wasn’t convinced society was facing the issue of pornography on the internet in the way that it should.

“I’m not sure society can stand back and allow the amount of material on the internet go unchecked.”

Last month’s research showed that a quarter of children aged between eight and 17 accidentally encountered pornography on the internet.

Fionnuala Kilfeather of the National Parents Council Primary encouraged parents to keep a close eye on the children’s use of the internet.

“Some of these chat rooms are frankly very dangerous. Parents need to keep an eye on them. Don’t let them at the internet by themselves, keep it where people can watch it.”

l Children can access the Government website on internet safety at www.FKBKO.net.