Internet Safety and Children

Q: I'm wondering just how many paedophiles are out there? What percent of the population do authorities think are abusers? lucasdoug
A: No one knows and trying to guess probably won't get us very far. However, the highly respected Stop It Now campaign estimates that around 1 in 10 children are sexually abused (not necessarily only by adults), but over 75% of these victims never tell anyone while they are still children. Secondly, think about Operation Ore, which revealed 7,200 UK names from one child pornography web site.

Q: The government introduced new screening for anyone who works with children. Do you think this really works? blue_horizon
A: Screening only helps you keep out the bad guys who have already been caught. It's important to do that, but most sex offenders in the UK and elsewhere have never been caught, so it is never going to be a complete substitute for maintaining proper care and vigilance. Thus, even if someone has come from a country that does not maintain a Sex Offences Register (and that's probably most countries in the world) the organisation's policies ought to kick in to keep children safe anyway.

Q: Are paedophiles more likely to stay away from rooms that are moderated? ichoochoo
A: If the chat provider is providing moderated or monitored chat they will say so. The key thing then is to find out what this actually means in their particular case. Moderation can cover a multitude of sins. For example, are the moderators police checked? How were they recruited? Face to face or simply online? Did they receive any training, and what kind of support do they receive? How many rooms does a single moderator cover? What is the maximum number of children allowed in the room at once? What are the age limits in the room, and how are they enforced? Do they rely on software to detect 'dodgy' words, or is it all supervised by real people? There is a big problem in this whole area: there are no industry wide standards for moderation. We desperately need them so parents will know what they can, and cannot, rely on. The Government and the industry are working on this - together. Watch this space.

Q: Are there warning signs if a child is being groomed or targeted by adults posing as kids? Since paedophiles seem so tricky in getting around parents, how would I know if my daughter or son were about to be lured away? jphowze
A: I will never forget listening to one mother saying (something like) 'I suppose when she started cutting up her bed sheets with scissors, I should have realised something wasn't right.' Her daughter had being sexually abused by her live-in lover for years without her knowing. Although a very extreme example, it highlights some of the signals children will display. Other signals are: sudden changes in the child's behaviour or appearance, especially if accompanied by excessive use of the computer and/or undue secretiveness. These are common danger signals that ought to trigger any parent to look more closely at their child's life across the board, to see if anything might be going wrong, and see if they can help put it right. If you suspect a link to the Internet in the first instance, I would try to get the child to open up and talk to you about who they have been talking to there. If you are still worried, it might be worth investigating some of the technical and monitoring tools that are available.

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