What Are the Dangers Your Kids Might Encounter Online?

We keep talking about dangers. What exactly are we talking about? The next sections outline some of them.

Pornography

The number-one Internet concern for many parents (and spouses) is easy access to websites containing sexually explicit or graphically violent material. How do you tell whether your child has been somewhere he or she shouldn't be? Read on.

Very Important

A rule of thumb: If kids are under 12 or so, most of the time they access adult content by accidentally clicking the wrong link or ad. If you find that teenagers have accessed an adult site, however, it is time to start asking them questions.

Predators

One of the most frightening dangers on the Internet is the possibility of a child being contacted and then stalked by sexual predators who roam chat rooms. A favorite tactic used by predators is to pose as another kid and then lure the victim into a private chat room. There is also a danger that a child can inadvertently provide a sexual predator with personal information, such as home address, school name, phone number, or parents' work schedule. Take it seriously and report it if you find out this is happening. Sexually enticing a minor online is a crime.

By the way, a website called Perverted Justice (http://www.perverted-justice.com) tracks online sexual predators (this website is only intended for adults). The site posts their names, addresses, pictures, and sends the log files to local and federal authorities.

Gambling

There are tens of thousands of gambling sites on the Internet, both legal and illegal. Whether legitimate or a scam site, it is doubtful that most parents would allow their underage kids to visit gambling sites. There are some reports of kids "borrowing" their parents' credit card and racking up serious debt in no time at all. If this happens, parents might actually be liable for the charges their children run up.

Hacking

We mentioned hacker programs that reside inside other, often "free" or shareware programs. Kids tend to be more vulnerable than adults because most do not have the financial wherewithal to purchase software programs on their own; instead, they are more likely to download freeware from the Internet. Be suspicious of any free program targeted at children.

Another issue to be aware of is your children turning into amateur hackers themselves. An Internet community called "script kiddies," referring to rather amateur, script-driven hacking, easily attracts smart yet bored kids. Hacking might not look like an immediate danger to your family; however, it is illegal and, therefore, you can be held liable for any damages done by your child.

Illegal Peer-to-Peer Sharing

Peer-to-peer sites are often used to illegally trade copyrighted material. In addition to being a favorite cover for people distributing viruses and spyware, sharing copyrighted material (songs, movies, games, and so on) is punishable by law in the United States and many other countries. As with gambling sites, parents can be held financially responsible if a child is found guilty of copyright infringement. Lawsuits brought by the music industry (RIAA) against people sharing music illegally on the Internet are typically resulting in thousands of dollars per family in settlements.