MySpaceSafetyTips.com

An interesting article by Anne Collier titled 'Predator panic' was posted two days ago on the netfamilynews blog. In the post, Anne cites evidence that the media frenzy that has bloomed since the first reports of sexual predators roaming MySpace.com may have produced a panic that is a bit unrealistic when compared to the data on actual cases of predators.

Certainly, in the majority of cases I've seen in the news, the in-person meetings were planned. The greatest fear for parents is a situation where a predator targets their child or teen, knows what they look like and where they'll be on a certain day at a certain time, goes there, and grabs the kid. I haven't seen reports of this scenario having occured many times.

Not that we should pretend it can't happen. I does and it will, just as every few weeks or so there is a report of a teen or preteen snatched while walking to or from a friend's house, snatched then usually murdered. It is a dangerous world. It irks me when anyone tries to suggest it isn't. Please read the news!

But the likelihood of this happening as a result of contact that begins on the Internet is minimal if appropriate safety rules are followed by the teen. Risk is everywhere, certainly.

An overreaction, an unrealistic panic, will not help, though. Because that distorts our sense of the actual level of danger, and results in changes in conduct and attitudes that may induce a reaction in the wrong direction by the kids we're so desperate to protect.

I'll never forget a statement my son made when he was about 15 or so. I was presenting an argument about some topic--I don't even remember the topic now--and his response was "I don't know what you're saying, but whatever you're saying, I disagree with it!"

There is a risk if teens know their would-be protectors are wrong about something. If adults overreact, and the teens are not mature enough to understand why that overreaction may be happening (we've seen to many kids die or be harmed in the past, but they haven't), then they may just dismiss everything we say about online dangers and online safety practices. They may decide they really don't care what we're talking about, because they know they disagree, just as my son did that day.

That's a risk to their safety too. Parental and teacher and politician panic and overreaction is a danger to teens. There's no way around that.

Would-be protectors must know what they're talking about, or their words will be ignored. That is a big reason why our book, while it provides specific practices for teens, is really more aimed at parents. The real knowledge gap is with adults, much moreso than it is with teens at this point. They know MySpace much better than most adults do.

Do look at 'Predator panic' and also click on some of the links Anne references in her article. Those who like hard data will find the LiveScience.com article very interesting.