Another Reason to be Involved with your Children

MSNBC.com reports on a study showing that internet predators aren’t behaving the way people assumed they behaved. Instead in many cases they’re picking up teens by openly looking for sex, and there are some teens who are willing to go along.

How can you actually protect your children? Even though I came into the parenting game a bit late (I became a stepfather in my early 40s), let me make a suggestion: Teach your children good social behavior either on the internet or off, and then be involved with their lives, on the internet or off. Without your parental guidance, your children are not safe. Automatic parental control systems are helpful. Law enforcement is necessary and helpful. But the final line for protecting children and grandchildren is being involved. It takes time, it’s not necessarily easy. Children, especially teenagers may act like they resent it, but it’s the one and only way you have to protect them.

Studies like this suggest the possibility that we may close the door on 5% of the problem (or try!), while leaving it open on the other 95%. Involvement means that whatever the danger, there is some adult experience and hopefully wisdom there to evaluate it. You can’t be there all the time and cover everything, but the more you are there the better.