Internet Child Enticement

Minors all over the world use computers and the internet for social networking, education, and many other activities. While the internet is a wonderful tool it is also one to be wary of. Albeit a small worry, there is a dark and torrid side that entices minors to engage in less desirable activities like chatting with strangers and sharing personal information over the internet.  Because of this, minors are being enticed into situations they cannot manage.  Protecting children from online enticement by predators is a necessity and must be accomplished by parents and law enforcement in order to provide a safe environment from pornography and enticement on the internet.

What is Child Enticement?  Child Enticement is “the use of the internet to entice, invite, or persuade a child to meet for sexual acts or to help arrange such a meeting” (What is online Enticement, 2009). In order for a child to be enticed a predator has to gain their confidence, to do this they use email, chat groups, and instant messaging. What is an internet predator?   Using the internet to engage in criminal behavior with a minor, a predator can be a stranger, an acquaintance, or even a family member. Children are innately trusting and will easily offer personal information online because they do not realize it is the same thing as talking to strangers. They are removed from that thought since they cannot see the person they are typing to.

The numbers are small in the “fiscal year 2005, federal prosecutors charged 1,447 child exploitation cases involving child pornography, coercion and enticement offenses against 1,503 defendants” (Fact Sheet: Justice Department Project Safe Childhood Initiative, 2006). A study done in 1999 to 2000  by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children  concluded out of 1,500 internet users, between the ages of 10 and 17 about 1 in 7  were in possession of unwanted sexual solicitation. 4% of them received aggressive solicitation where the predator tried to meet with them offline. In the whole scheme of things these numbers are small. However, this does not change the fact that children still need to be protected. As George Bush said “Our nation has made this commitment: Anyone who targets a child for harm will be a primary target of law enforcement. That’s our commitment.” (October 23, 2002). Since then specialized training is available to law enforcement, more funding is available through the US Department of Justice and forty six task force units specifically trained to handle crimes against children have been created. The number of crimes reported is small, as shown in the graph below.  Internet Arrests involving crimes against minors in a study in 2000 (Wolak, Finkelhor, & Mitchell, 2006).

In a report by the Crimes Against Children Research center it was indicated that of the agencies that participated, there were a total of 2,577 responses. Of the 2,577 responses 998 arrests were made for internet crimes against identified victims that is 39%. Crimes of child pornography reported were 935 which is 37%, and solicitation of an undercover officer came in at 644 which is 25% of the total crimes reported. This is a small number since not all agencies reported. A report that covers the problem as a whole is unavailable due to the numerous state and government agencies involved. Coordination and cooperation is a necessity that cannot be overlooked in this aspect. Along with law enforcement, parents and social networking sites need to coordinate as well.

        Social networking sites such as “My Space” have come under fire due to the fact that it is nearly impossible to monitor registered members.  Registered members far outweigh the number of moderators there are to police the site (Aftab, 2009). What is My Space? My Space is a very popular social networking site that enables users to post a profile with pictures and other personal information at the discretion of the user. A person must be at least 14 years old in order to become a member. However, there is no verification of this membership information. The user has control over what is being displayed on the profile page. Since there is no verification of membership this is extremely inviting to underage users as well as predators.  Another risk involved with a minor using a site like this, is that the member is encouraged to include school information such as where and what state the school is in. This is very risky to minors as it gives a predator a location to find the minor.

My Space has very specific membership guidelines with specific restrictions clearly defined more so than other net working sites. When a member is suspected of not meeting the minimum age requirement, “the site is very responsive regarding parental requests to terminate the membership” (Aftab, 2009). “They encourage the parent to do this with the child first as a lesson in responsible and safe internet use.” (Aftab, 2009) Once it is learned that a member does not meet the age requirement the profile and membership are terminated and deleted unilaterally (Aftab, 2009). In 2006 My space created a database with names, physical descriptions, and other identifiable information of known sex offenders and they cross-reference it with members on their site. This program called Sentinel SAFE works assuming the information that was given for membership is true and correct (Technology and Science, 2009). As scary as it is, children are communicating via the internet every day. Children use the computer for homework and to communicate with one another. Children need to be informed of the dangers that lurk (Department, 2006).

Since parents are the first line of defense they need to be prepared and educated on how social networking sites operate. Parents need to know what their children are doing on the internet.  Monitor the time spent and have parental controls in place. Parents need to be informed about what to do if their child experiences problems on the internet. They need to know what is available in terms of reporting internet crime. They need to know how and where to get support.  Safety tips parents can use while doing their part to protect children are, but not limited to:

1.      Teach children what should and should not be done when surfing the web.

2.      Monitor the child’s web surfing after the fact. (enabling trust).

3.      Agree on household rules for using the internet. (include the minor).

4.      Understand children will be curious and have a clear understanding of what will happen if they get into trouble.

5.      Have open discussions often regarding internet content and dangers.

There are numerous sites available on the internet for parent and minors to stay current in the ongoing process of internet safety.

       How does pornography fit into the whole social networking aspect of the internet? While most minors use the internet to socialize when they are on a social networking site they are encouraged to post photos of themselves. Posting photos is a seemingly innocent activity however, many children follow what they see. Provocative images on television and in other media, teaches them that risky attire and behavior is normal.  Although, there is a clear lack of scientific evidence on this subject a simple picture posted on the internet gives a predator an opportunity to see the minor and begin contacting them. As stated by the U.S. Department of Justice “children do not believe that chatting online with strangers in obscure chat rooms can be harmful to them or ever lead to a real physical encounter.” “The fact that they are children, not yet capable of understanding the deadly hook accompanying the attractive lures of child sexual predators.” (Justice, 2005-06).

In conclusion there are no easy answers, protecting children from internet predators should be a collaborative effort between parents, law enforcement, the justice system, and internet social networking sites. There is much to be done in order to stay on top of this very dark and broad problem.  Vigilance and new technology along with education are also necessary. The internet is wide open and very difficult to police. It takes a village to raise a child. Do you know what your child is doing on the internet?

Aftab, P. (2009). Internet Safety 101. Retrieved May 19, 2009, from Wired Saftey.Org: www.wiredsafety.org

Department, J. o. (2006). Fact Sheet: Justice Department Project Safe Childhood Initiative. Washington.

Technology and Science. (2009, 05). Retrieved 05 14, 2009, from MSNBC.com: www.msnbc.msn.com

What is online Enticement. (2009). Retrieved May 14, 2009, from National Center for Missing and Exloited Children: www.missingkids.com

Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., & Mitchell, K. (2006). Trends in Arrests of “Online Predators”. Durham: Crimes Against Children Research Center.