I have given numerous child safety awareness presentations specifically related to sex offender awareness and sexual predators. The theme of my presentation is to give parents additional tools to try and protect their children. I have never wanted the parents to walk away with a “doomsday” feeling that they are helpless against the modern technology at our children’s fingertips. I would rather they leave feeling empowered after my presentation.

Almost always, I will have a parent interrupt me and tell me their kids are not the type to fall victim to the scenarios that I describe. I answer them all with the same response. I tell them due to my law enforcement/sex crimes experience I have become a realist. I tell these parents I hope they are correct, I hope their children are different and would never be like the victims I have had contact with. However, my past experience has shown me almost any child can become a victim.

I personally don’t prescribe to the usual, “put the computer in a common place like the family room”. I have four home computers and they are all networked. I use software to monitor my children on their computers. Again, in my opinion, a computer in a common place is only effective if you were to sit in their lap when they use the computer. All a kid has to do when they hear someone’s footsteps coming is close the program and the parent has no idea what their kids were doing or who they were talking too. This makes having a computer in a central location ineffective.

In fact, if you have a computer in a common location look the next time you walk into the room and notice if your child minimizes something on their screen. I have had many parents do this same test and later approach me asking for help.