Is Your Child At Risk?

No not my child...

We live in a nice house in a great neighborhood. My kids go to "good" schools and get good grades. They have all the latest gadgets. They know how to use my laptop, smart phone to access the latest apps, play video games and they have figured it out all by themselves.

Exactly! No one, probably not you, not their teachers, ever explained to them the risks of using this technology. Do you know according to a study by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that 1 in 5 youths online face invitations to engage in cybersex or receive other risque solicitations?

Sen. Judd Gregg, chairman of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funded the study said that, "If your child is using the Internet, it is very likely that your child has been solicited for activity of a sexual manner."

Wow! scary.

The report also went on to say that few of the children ever reported the incidents to authorities or even to their parents. The biggest surprise to me was that the profile of the typical sexual solicitor was a teen. Yikes, and you know how much kids are influenced with peer pressure.

WHAT'S A PARENT TO DO?
 START YOUNG!!! and follow this motto:  Expect + Respect = Success

Expectation
Before you hand your kids that cool technology make sure you set expectations of how and when it should be used.   Think about it.  Would you send your young child to play in a park without any rules or adult supervision?  Would you give your older child keys to the car just because he figured out how to drive?  Of course not, and it must be the same with technology.  

It is fun for young kids to IM and add smiley faces to grandma but this is a great time to start setting expectations.  Let your child  know you expect that he will only IM with some one he knows.  As your child gets older, he/she will text and most likely will have a facebook page.  Your child from a very young age must be told over and over again your expectations for posting and texting. 

Respect
Make sure your kids are taught at an early age to respect technology from the first time they grab your smart phone or tap the keyboard.  Respect for technology isn't natural to kids. It must be taught even though they are clicking and swiping faster than most adults.

Success
Setting high expectations and respect when using technology, kids will less likely be the victims of predators and more likely be the ones who will use it as a powerful tool for learning, self-expression and communication.

Technology is here to stay. Don't put your head in the sand and think by not letting your child use it, that's the solution,.  Believe me..It's way to cool and they are going to get their hands on it.

So ...What are you doing to prevent your child from being one of those kids who are at risk?